Ursula, by Maria Firmina dos Reis

The session will discuss the translation and the teaching in the UK and the USA of Maria Firmina dos Reis’s novel Ursula (1859) and short story “A escrava” (1887), both translated by Cristina Ferreira Pinto-Bailey and recently published by Tagus Press (2021). Ursula and “The Slave Woman” are the first abolitionist fictional texts written from the perspective of the enslaved. Both written within the literary conventions of the Romantic movement, they offer a sensitive and nuanced portrayal of enslaved African and Afro-Brazilian characters shown in all their humanity as they narrate their personal histories and give voice to the abuse and injustices they have endured. 

To see the full programme and to watch online, please visit the Sant Jordi website: https://www.santjordiusa.org/program