Launched
in June 2004 by the Spanish collective NOVELPOL, promoters of detective
fiction, La
Gangsterera is
published three times a year, in Spanish. Its title is meant to
evoke the golden age of the gangster.
Sébastien Rutès
is the editor-in-chief, while Zeki is responsible for the delicate
task of publishing the review. Both share a passion for detective
fiction, particularly in its darker form.
La Gangsterera resembles
the French review 813, in both
layout (the A4 format) and in its connection with an association
dedicated to promoting detective fiction. Indeed, 813 is
the product of Friends of Detective Fiction.
In its paper format,
the review consists of approximately 52 to 66 pages, carefully
laid out by the editors. However, beginning with Number 4 (March
2006), the layout has undergone significant change, and is now
published in a smaller format (16X24cm). One result of this change
is an increase in the number of pages, now reaching approximately
116. These recent editorial changes will be much appreciated by the
reader. The layout is more stylish, with more photographs and illustrations.
As a result, La Gangsterera has become
a true literary review.
For
the most part, the review focuses on Spanish authors and their publications
(both in their original version and in translation). Each issue is
centred on a specific theme. The second issue (April 2005), for example,
looks at “Emerging Spanish Crime Writers”, shining
the spotlight on a new generation of Spanish authors.
Issue 3 is devoted
to graphic novels and comic books (Cómico
Negro in Spanish) and the artists of this genre are given their due
in a series of well-documented, probing articles, accompanied by
a much-needed and selective bibliography. This issue focuses on comic
book artists working in the United States, France, Spain, and Latin
America.
Issue 3 is a welcome look at a genre that, like cinema, has
been heavily influenced and inspired by crime fiction, all the
while using narrative codes specific to the comic book or graphic
novel.
Issue 4 takes the reader on a tour of the winding streets
of a diverse range of urban landscapes, examining their vital presence
in both detective novels and cinéma noir.
The forthcoming
issue (June 2006) shifts the focus to short fiction, featuring winners
of a short story competition organized by NOVELPOL, in addition to
short fiction by other Spanish writers.
Like many similar reviews, La
Gangsterera also
publishes interviews with writers, as well as essays (most notably
a worthwhile series on detective fiction's darker side), not to
mention short stories by Spanish writers in each issue.
Crime fiction
currently published in Spain is the main focus, but the review also
explores the remarkable output of crime fiction from Hispanic America,
both the United States and Latin America.
La Gangsterera began
life in 2001 as a Web magazine, devoted to new publications in
the world of Spanish detective fiction, and accompanying articles
examining this genre.
The electronic version is
still online, its extensive content updated daily, publishing material
independently of the printed version. Visit the site at: http://gangsterera.free.fr.
The
website also provides summaries of the printed review, as well
as contact and subscription information.
While still in development,
La Gangsterera plays
an important role in the current explosion of Spanish crime fiction
from both Spain and Hispanic America. The review is an invaluable
source of detailed information, not just on Spanish writers but
on writers from the Spanish-speaking world in general, authors
not particularly well-known outside their respective countries.
The review does an admirable job of covering these innovative authors,
long neglected by the general public.
La
Gangstera is an
indispensable addition to literary reviews specializing in detective
and crime fiction.
La Gangsterera
Asociación
Cultural NOVELPOL
C/Custodia nº 8
- 4º
Gijon 33208
Asturias
Espagne
Email: zeki@telecable.es
Price
of issue: 5 €
Website: http:/gangsterera.free.fr
Site contains information for subscribers as well as editorial information
Some translation concerns:
Redacteur-en-chief: editor
in chief
Editeur: can be either editor or publisher
