The interaction between Dutch and Flemish books and their journey into Spanish translation highlights the complexities of cultural representation, literary style and market dynamics. In what follows, we will explore this relationship and consider how two languages and cultures, united under a single linguistic umbrella, present distinct identities. A blend of sociology, imagology and narrative framing helps to examine the subtleties of Dutch and Flemish texts as they are reimagined for Spanish-speaking readers.

In the global literary market, Dutch and Flemish literature occupy a peripheral position compared to hyper-central languages such as English. This marginality requires active promotion in order to achieve visibility. Institutions such as the Dutch Foundation for Literature and Flanders Literature play a crucial role in this process. Through grants, workshops and extensive networking, they aim to increase the global appeal of Dutch and Flemish literary works.

But despite the joint efforts, internal cultural differences remain. Dutch and Flemish literature is often consumed within its own borders, with readers from the Netherlands and Flanders showing limited interest in each other's works. This reflects different literary traditions and audience expectations, and challenges the notion of a single Dutch-language literary field.

The focus is on four novels: De avonden (Gerard Reve) and Boven is het stil (Gerbrand Bakker), representing Dutch literature, and Het verdriet van België (Hugo Claus) and De helaasheid der dingen (Dimitri Verhulst), representing Flanders. They show how editorial framing and translation choices have an impact on the perception of the stylistic and cultural identity of the source text.

In the Dutch-language book market, both the two classics (Reve and Claus) and the two contemporary novels (Bakker and Verhulst) are subject to what might be called ‘glocal’ framing: a global dimension is attributed to the ‘typical’ local character via mediation from the Anglo-Saxon literary field.

Spanish editors, on the other hand, tend to avoid referring to the 'typically' Dutch or Flemish character of the novels, preferring to frame them globally, giving them timeless and placeless covers and paratexts.  

This tendency to naturalise the source text is also reflected in the translation strategies. According to the examples analysed, the Spanish translations tend to embellish the minimalist style of De avonden and Boven is het stil by adapting it to the literary preferences of the target culture. Similarly, the 'typically' Flemish stylistic features and multilingual and culturally nuanced elements in the examples of Het verdriet van België and De helaasheid der dingen are omitted or simplified.

The case studies raise critical questions about the future of Dutch and Flemish literature in translation. As global markets increasingly favour universal styles, will the distinctiveness of these literatures fade? Or will the efforts of translators and institutions ensure the survival of cultural singularity?  

Exploring these dynamics highlights the power of translation, not only as a linguistic act, but also as a cultural bridge, navigating the delicate balance between unity and diversity.