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Stephen Roberts

Professor of Modern Spanish Literature and Intellectual History, Faculty of Arts

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Biography

From 1987 till 1988 I was Lecturer in Spanish at St Hugh's College, Jesus College, Wadham College and Lady Margaret Hall, Oxford University.

From 1988 till 1990 I held the Queen Sofia Junior Research Fellowship and a Lecturership in Spanish at Exeter College, Oxford.

From 1991 till 1994 I was lecturer in Spanish at the University of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Since 1994, I have been Lecturer, then Associate Professor and Reader, and then Professor in Modern Spanish Literature and Intellectual History in the Department of Modern Languages and Cultures, University of Nottingham.

Expertise Summary

My main research areas are the literature, culture, history and intellectual history of Spain in the second half of the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth, with a particular interest in the thought and public role of Miguel de Unamuno, in the novels of Benito Pérez Galdós, José María de Pereda, Pío Baroja and Ramón del Valle-Inclán, and in the poetry of Juan Ramón Jiménez, Federico García Lorca, Pablo Neruda and others. I have also worked on cinema (John Huston, Juan Antonio Bardem, Víctor Erice, biopics). My current research deals, on the one hand, with the phenomenon of exile and, on the other, with the diplomatic history of the Dictatorship of Miguel Primo de Rivera (1923-1930).

Teaching Summary

My teaching includes the Drama section of a first year module entitled Literature in Spanish; the Peninsular side of a second year survey course on the literature of Spain and Spanish America since… read more

Research Summary

My current research has two main strands. On the one hand, I am focusing on the phenomenon of exile, with a particular emphasis (a) on Miguel de Unamuno's exile from the Dictatorship of Miguel Primo… read more

Recent Publications

My teaching includes the Drama section of a first year module entitled Literature in Spanish; the Peninsular side of a second year survey course on the literature of Spain and Spanish America since 1840; Spanish films of the 1970s that chart the psychological legacy of dictatorship; and, at final year level, a module that looks at the literature and film produced in Spain during the régime of Francisco Franco (1939-1975).

Current Research

My current research has two main strands. On the one hand, I am focusing on the phenomenon of exile, with a particular emphasis (a) on Miguel de Unamuno's exile from the Dictatorship of Miguel Primo de Rivera (1923-1930) and (b) on the influence that Spanish exiles in the UK after the Civil War of 1936-1939 had both on the future of Spain and Europe and on British Hispanism. On the other hand, I am researching the foreign policy of Miguel Primo de Rivera, focusing above all on the way in which the Dictator formulated that policy through an evolving dialogue with his Ambassadors in key European capitals.

Past Research

One of the strands of my research has focused on the intellectual history of Spain between the 1880s and the 1930s. I have been particularly interested in the literature, thought and politics of Miguel de Unamuno and, centrally, his pioneering role in the emergence of the figure of the modern intellectual in Spain (see monograph entitled Miguel de Unamuno o la creación del intelectual español moderno). I have also looked at the intellectual dialogue between Spain and Spanish America over this same period (Ortega, Rodó) and at the thought of Spanish intellectuals who went into exile in the UK after the Spanish Civil War (Castillejo, Jiménez Fraud, Barea, Madariaga, etc.). .

Another strand has focused on different aspects of Spanish and Spanish American poetry of the first decades of the twentieth century, including the relationship between poetry and philosophy in Juan Ramón Jiménez, Pablo Neruda's formal experiments, and Federico García Lorca's poetic dialogue with the visual arts and with cinema. I published a literary biography of Lorca, entitled Deep Song. The Life and Work of Federico García Lorca, in 2020.

Much of my research has centred on the relationship between text and historical context, as can be seen in the exhibition entitled ¿Agonía o transformación? El carlismo en la literatura española, 1876-1912 that I curated for the Museo del Carlismo in Estella (Spain) in 2019-2020.

I have also worked on the Spanish cinema of the 1950s (Bardem) and 1990s (Erice).

Future Research

I am writing up a monograph based on my research into Miguel Primo de Rivera's foreign policy. At the same time, I am preparing (with colleagues in Nottingham, Spain and Portugal) a research project entitled The Limits of Liberalism. Lessons from Iberia.

  • STEPHEN ROBERTS, 2022. 'El modernismo hispanoamericano'. In: JOSÉ LUIS MORA and ANTONIO HEREDIA, eds., Historia de la filosofía española Granada: Comares Editorial. 203-218
  • STEPHEN ROBERTS, 2021. 'La guerra y los naipes: el órdago de Cómo se hace una novela' Cuadernos de la Cátedra Miguel de Unamuno. Época III(49), 1
  • STEPHEN ROBERTS, 2021. Vigilancia y clandestinidad: la vida secreta de Unamuno en Hendaya. In: GABRIEL INSAUSTI, ed., Unamuno en Hendaya Valencia: Pre-textos. 273-293
  • STEPHEN GH ROBERTS, 2020. ‘Teaching Unamuno’s Press Articles: The Badge of Identity of the Unamunian Intellectual’. In: LUIS ÁLVAREZ CASTRO, ed., Approaches to Teaching the Works of Miguel de Unamuno New York: The Modern Language Association of America. 93-98
  • STEPHEN ROBERTS, 2020. ¿Agonía o transformación? El carlismo en la literatura española, 1876-1912.: Catálogo de la exposición del mismo título celebrada en el Museo del Carlismo (Estella) entre octubre de 2019 y junio de 2020. Con introducción y textos de Stephen Roberts. Pamplona: Gobierno de Navarra.
  • STEPHEN ROBERTS, 2020. Deep Song. The Life and Work of Federico García Lorca London: Reaktion Press.
  • JOSÉ LUIS MORA Y STEPHEN ROBERTS, 2020. ‘Úna ínsula para isleños, tierra adentro’ Ínsula. 886, 3-7
  • STEPHEN ROBERTS, 2020. ‘Filosofía y literatura. De la generación finisecular a la generación de 1927: la figura del nuevo intelectual’. In: JOSÉ LUIS MORA Y MIRIAM SONLLEVA, ed., Educación, Cultura y Sociedad. Génesis y desarrollo de un proyecto reformista.: La Universidad Popular segoviana. Antecedentes, historia y protagonistas. Segovia: Real Academia de Historia y Arte de San Quirce. 193-208
  • STEPHEN GH ROBERTS, 2019. ‘Miguel de Unamuno’s Notion of Public Sphere’. In: DAVID JIMÉNEZ TORRES AND LETICIA VILLAMEDIANA GONZÁLEZ, ed., The Configuration of the Spanish Public Sphere New York & Oxford: Berghahn Books. 174-91
  • STEPHEN GH ROBERTS, 2017. ‘¿Hacia un liberalismo socialista? Los intelectuales españoles de principios del siglo XX y su crítica del liberalismo decimonónico’. In: JORGE NOVELLA SUÁREZ, JOSÉ LUIS MORA GARCÍA Y XAVIER AGENJO BULLÓN, ed., Laberintos del Liberalismo. Libro de las XII Jornadas Internacionales de Hispanismo Filosófico Madrid: Fundación Ignacio Larramendi, Facultad de Filosofía de la Universidad de Murcia, Asociación de Hispanismo Filosófico. 217-35
  • STEPHEN G.H. ROBERTS, 2016. 'Clowning and Tragic Clowning: Miguel de Unamuno as a Funny Writer' Romance Quarterly. 63(2), 53-62
  • STEPHEN G.H. ROBERTS, 2016. 'Exile 1924-1930: Essays, Narrative and Drama'. In: JULIA BIGGANE & JOHN MACKLIN, ed., A Companion to Miguel de Unamuno Woodbridge: Tamesis. 53-74
  • STEPHEN G.H. ROBERTS, 2016. '"Lorca eran todos": Las prácticas genocidas en Granada y su memorialización'. In: ÉLIANE LAVAUD-FAGE ET CATHÉRINE ORSINI-SAILLET, ed., Des Génocides dans le monde hispanique contemporain? Réalités et représentations 33. Binges: Éditions Orbis Tertius, Hispanística XX. 243-260
  • STEPHEN G.H. ROBERTS, 2016. 'Los intelectuales en la política cultural republicana'. In: IDOIA MURGA CASTRO Y JOSÉ MARÍA LÓPEZ SÁNCHEZ, ed., Política cultural de la Segunda República Española Madrid: Editorial Pablo Iglesias. 223-245
  • STEPHEN G.H. ROBERTS, 2015. 'Intelectual: historia de una palabra y un concepto clave en la obra de Miguel de Unamuno'. In: ARDILA, J.A.G., ed., El Unamuno eterno Barcelona: Anthropos. 431-56
  • STEPHEN GH ROBERTS, 2015. 'Federico García Lorca et le cinéma' Europe: Revue Littéraire Mensuelle. 93e année(1032), 170-85
  • STEPHEN ROBERTS, 2014. 'Lorca, el cine y la renovación del teatro español' Hispanistica XX: Littérature et Cinéma Allers-Retours. 31, 365-75
  • STEPHEN G.H. ROBERTS, 2014. 'Miguel de Unamuno y la Gran Guerra' Monteagudo: Monográfico: La Primera Guerra Mundial y el acontecer literario en España: 1914. Tercer Época(19), 133-44
  • ROBERTS, S.G.H. and SHARMAN, A., eds., 2013. 1812 echoes: the Cadiz Constitution in Hispanic history, culture and politics Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
  • MARÍA JOSÉ MARTÍNEZ JURICO and STEPHEN G.H. ROBERTS, 2013. 'El sol del membrillo/The Quince Tree Sun (Víctor Erice, 1992): Moving Pictures – Painting, Drawing and Filmmaking'. In: MARÍA M. DELGADO and ROBIN FIDDIAN, eds., Spanish Cinema 1973-2010: Auteurism, Politics, Landscape and Memory Manchester: Manchester University Press. 78-90
  • ROBERTS, S.G.H., 2013. Censura, auto-censura y traducción en los artículos publicados por Miguel de Unamuno durante su exilio voluntario en Francia (1924-1930). In: GUEREÑA, J.-L. and ZAPATA, M., eds., Censure et manipulations dans les mondes ibérique et latino-américain Presses Universitaires François-Rabelais. 253-272
  • STEPHEN G.H. ROBERTS, 2013. The Twelfth Annual Pérez Galdós Lecture (2012): Galdós and 1812
  • ROBERTS, S.G.H., 2013. Towards a political anthropology: "Cádiz" by Benito Pérez Galdós. In: ROBERTS, S.G.H. and SHARMAN, A., eds., 1812 echoes: the Cadiz Constitution in Hispanic history, culture and politics Cambridge Scholars Publishing. 207-225
  • MARÍA JOSÉ MARTÍNEZ JURICO and STEPHEN G.H. ROBERTS, 2013. ‘How a Constitution is Made: An Interview with Alfonso Guerra’. In: STEPHEN G.H. ROBERTS and ADAM SHARMAN, eds., 1812 Echoes: The Cadiz Constitution in Hispanic History, Culture and Politics Newcastle upon Tyne: Cambridge Scholars Publishing. 337-65
  • STEPHEN G.H. ROBERTS, 2013. Del sentimiento trágico de la vida (1913) Revista de Hispanismo Filosófico. 18, 115-22
  • STEPHEN G.H. ROBERTS, 2012. 'El ser, el otro y la noción de comunidad en la obra de Unamuno' Hispanistica XX: Identité / Altérité dans la culture hispanique aux XXe-XXIe siècles. 29(2011), 51-58
  • STEPHEN G.H. ROBERTS, 2011. 'Cantando para contar: La vida de Cole Porter en Night and Day (1946) y De-lovely (2004)'. In: GLORIA CAMARERO, ed., Vidas de cine. El biopic como género cinematográfico Madrid: T&B Editores. 61-91
  • ROBERTS, S.G.H., 2011. Rescatando a Don Juan: "El hermano Juan o el mundo es teatro" de Unamuno: perspectivas actuales Hecho teatral. 11, 193-218
  • ROBERTS, S.G.H., 2011. El retablo de Maese Federico: Lorca's Romancero gitano as puppet theatre Journal of Iberian and Latin American Studies. 17(2-3), 195-207
  • STEPHEN G.H. ROBERTS, 2010. 'Tíos y sobrinos, maestros y discípulos: la difícil transmisión de valores en la novela española finisecular' Hispanistica XX: Transmission/Transgression. 27(2009), 127-134
  • STEPHEN ROBERTS, 2010. Review article of Colette y Jean-Claude Rabaté, Miguel de Unamuno. Biografía The Times Literary Supplement.
  • STEPHEN G.H. ROBERTS, 2009. 'Lorca, el poeta pintor'. In: JEAN ANDREWS Y STEPHEN G.H. ROBERTS, ed., Obra en marcha. Ensayos en honor de Richard A. Cardwell Nottingham: Critical, Cultural and Communications Press. 158-69
  • JEAN ANDREWS Y STEPHEN G.H. ROBERTS, ed., 2009. Obra en marcha. Ensayos en honor de Richard A. Cardwell Nottingham: Critical, Cultural and Communications Press.
  • STEPHEN G.H. ROBERTS, 2008. 'La transformación de la memoria colectiva. El caso de De mi país (1903) y Recuerdos de niñez y de mocedad (1908) de Miguel de Unamuno' Hispanistica XX: Mémoire(s). Représentations et transmission dans le monde Hispanique (XXe-XXIe siècles). 25(2007), 133-40
  • ROBERTS, S.G.H., 2007. Miguel de Unamuno o la creación del intelectual español moderno Salamanca: Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca.
  • ROBERTS, S.G.H., 2007. 'Out of the Ashes: Unamuno and Hispanicity Post-1898'. In: GOH, CONSTANCE and MCGUIRK, BERNARD, eds., Happiness and Post-Conflict Cultures Nottingham: Critical, Cultural and Communications Press. 157-77
  • ROBERTS, S.G.H., 2007. ‘El socialismo de Unamuno entre 1914 y 1924’ Cuadernos de la Cátedra Miguel de Unamuno. 43, 89-98.
  • ROBERTS, S.G.H., 2005. 'El papel de Unamuno en la emergencia del intelectual moderno en España'. In: CHAGUACEDA TOLEDANO, A., ed., Miguel de Unamuno. Estudios sobre su obra. II Salamanca : Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca. 255-76
  • ROBERTS, S.G.H., 2005. 'Placas tectónicas: Miguel de Unamuno y la renovación de la sensibilidad religiosa en España' In: Hispanistica XX, volume 21 (2003). 141-50
  • ROBERTS, S.G.H., 2004. Hispanidad: el desarrollo de una polémica noción en la obra de Unamuno Cuadernos de la Cátedra Miguel de Unamuno. 39, 61-80
  • ROBERTS, S.G.H., 2003. Oyéndose casualmente a sí­ mismo: de Hamlet a Augusto Pérez. In: CHAGUACEDA TOLEDANO, A., ed., Miguel de Unamuno: estudios sobre su obra. I Salamanca: Ediciones Universidad de Salamanca. 95-112
  • ROBERTS, S.G.H., 2003. 'La virtualidad fenomenológica y la primera poesía de Juan Ramón Jiménez' In: Hispanistica XX, volume 19 (2001). 305-15
  • ROBERTS, S.G.H., 2003. 'Unamuno, Spanishness and the Ideal Patria: An Intellectual's View' Journal of the Institute of Romance Studies. 8, 125-136
  • ROBERTS, S.G.H., 2002. The self-adjusting sonnet: Pablo Neruda's 'Arte poética' (30 pp.) At: The Kate Elder Lecture, Department of Hispanic Studies, Queen Mary and Westfield College. ISBN 0904188779
  • ROBERTS, S.G.H., 2002. 'Obras incompletas: la historia textual póstuma de la obra de Unamuno y sus efectos en la crítica'. In: , ed., Los textos del 98 Centro para la Edición de los Clásicos Españoles, Spain,. 143-66
  • ROBERTS, S.G.H., 2001. 'El exilio como una experiencia temporal: Miguel de Unamuno y <i>Cómo se hace una novela</i>'. In: , ed., Le XXème siècle, parcours et repères : culture hispanique Dijon : Centre d'Études et de Recherches Hispaniques du XXème siècle, Université de Bourgogne.
  • ROBERTS, S.G.H., 2001. Review of Lucas Mallada, La futura revolución española y otros escritos regeneracionistas, intr. by Francisco J. Ayala-Carcedo and Steven L. Driever Modern Language Review. VOL 96(PART 2), 553-554
  • ROBERTS, S.G.H., 2001. Review of Miguel de Unamuno's Political Writings 1918-1924, Vol. 3, ed. G.D. Robertson Bulletin of Hispanic Studies (Liverpool). lxxviii, 258-59
  • ROBERTS, S.G.H., 2001. 'El nacimiento de un prejuicio: 1898, América Latina y la galofobia de Unamuno' In: Tu mano es mi destino: Actas del Congreso Internacional Miguel de Unamuno. 417-23
  • ROBERTS, S.G.H., 2001. 'The Reception of <em>Ariel</em> in Spain: Rodó, Unamuno and the Emergence of the Modern Intellectual'. In: SAN ROMÁN, G., ed., This America We Dream Of: Rodó and Ariel One Hundred Years On London : Institute of Latin American Studies, University of London. 68-91
  • ROBERTS, S.G.H., 2000. 'Unamuno, 1898 y la crisis de la Restauración'. In: , ed., 1898: Entre la crisi d'identitat i la modernització: Actes del Congrés Internacional celebrat a Barcelona, 20-24 d'abril de 1998 I. Barcelona : Generalitat de Catalunya. Departament de la Presidencia. Comissió 1898. 239-48
  • ROBERTS, S.G.H., 2000. 'Unamuno and the Restoration Political Project: A Reevaluation'. In: HARRISON, J. and HOYLE, A., eds., Spain's 1898 Crisis: Regenerationism, Modernism, Post-colonialism Manchester : Manchester University Press. 68-80
  • ROBERTS, S.G.H., 1999. 'In Search of a New Spanish Realism: Bardem's "Calle Mayor" (1956)'. In: EVANS, P.W., ed., Spanish Cinema: The Auteurist Tradition Oxford : Oxford University Press. 19-37
  • ROBERTS, S.G.H., 1998. Review of Carmen Arocena, Víctor Erice Tessera. 4, 189-190
  • ROBERTS, S.G.H., 1998. 'The Function and Mission of Theatre: Ortega's Idea del teatro' Contemporary Theatre Review. 7(3), 57-66
  • ROBERTS, S.G.H., 1998. Review of Miguel de Unamuno's Political Writings 1918-1924. Volume 1: La anarquia reinante (1918-1920) and Volume 2: El absolutismo en acecho (1921-1922), ed. G.D. Robertson Bulletin of Hispanic Studies (Liverpool). VOL 75(NUMBER 4), 489
  • ROBERTS, S. G. H., 1997. Review of Luisa Marina Perdigó, The Origins of Vicente Huidobro's `Creacionismo' (1911-1916) and its Evolution (1917-1947) Bulletin of Hispanic Studies (Liverpool). VOL 74(NUMBER 1), 131
  • ROBERTS, S.G.H., ed., 1996. Miguel de Unamuno: Political Speeches and Journalism (1923-1929) University of Exeter Press, Exeter, England.
  • 1925. 1924: Un año en la vida de Miguel de Unamuno Cuadernos de la Cátedra Miguel de Unamuno. 52, 1

Nottingham Interdisciplinary Modernism Research Network

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