Polish University Offers Course on Gibraltarian Literature
The Jagiellonian University in Kraków, Poland, is currently teaching an elective course devoted to Gibraltar’s literature delivered by its Institute of English Studies. Running from February to late April, the course is taught by Professor Rafael Vélez Núñez and coordinated by Professor Władysław Witalisz.
Speaking to Professor Vélez, he explained how his interest in local literature first developed: “My interest in Gibraltarian literature arose quite by chance. In 2024, a conference on Gibraltar and borders was being organised at the faculty where I teach, and I was invited to take part. I spent some time thinking about the topic of my proposal. As I am a lecturer in modern English literature at the University of Cádiz, I asked myself a very simple question: does Gibraltar literature exist? I began to do some research and was pleasantly surprised to discover that it did indeed exist. I contacted some authors, was introduced to others and, little by little, I discovered how much interest and research work had been done on Gibraltarian writing. And I'm happy to say that there is a growing interest in this topic.”
The syllabus for the course started with an introduction to Gibraltar’s cultural and linguistic background before moving to focus on contemporary prose. Students will read two works by M. G. Sanchez — his novel Marlboro Man and his recently published collection of short stories LowLife Tales. These texts form the core of the course’s narrative prose component.
Professor Vélez went through some of the characteristic features of Gibraltarian writing: “Teaching Gib lit is quite challenging,” he said, “in the sense that we don’t have the typical textbooks that we use to teach any period of literature in English.”
He continued: “The approach is both personal, in the sense that I choose the works that I think are the most representative of this literature, but also academic, trying to provide a clear and structured survey of contemporary writing in the light of the history, culture and politics of modern Gibraltar. In class we have applied different critical approaches to texts, ranging from the experiential, in the case of poetry, to gender and masculinity studies, post-colonial readings and historical analysis. Another feature that has impressed students is the use of Llanito in Gibraltarian writing.”
Alongside the prose, the course has also included selections from pamphlets published by Patuka Press. These short pieces have introduced students to local voices, Llanito‑influenced expression, and reflections on neighbourhoods, borders, and community life.
Poetry forms the second major component of the module. Students have studied work by Giordano Durante and Gabriel Moreno, exploring different approaches to contemporary Gibraltarian verse.
A dedicated section of the course will also focus on women poets, with selections by Jackie Anderson and Marisa Salazar. This part of the syllabus will examine how women writers contribute to Gibraltar’s literary landscape and how their work engages with themes of voice, place, and personal perspective.
Asked what he hopes to achieve by delivering the course, Professor Vélez commented: “I want to offer the possibility to study and get to know a not very familiar corpus of texts. But also, and perhaps more importantly, to shed a necessary light on an extremely interesting production which is not easy to read and know firsthand because of reasons completely alien to literary quality and generalised academic interest.”
He concluded: “Literature is a precious heritage; it reflects the distinctive character of a unique people and identity, and should be a source of national pride. Not all territories with complex historical pasts produce literature. Gibraltar, with its uniqueness and linguistic and historical richness, is a remarkable exception. And this reality cannot be overlooked.”
Student Feedback
Students have responded positively to the course.
One student commented: “I found this course very interesting and fun as I wasn’t even aware of the history or literature of Gibraltar. It was also very emotional studying some of the texts.”
Another added: “I wasn’t expecting this to be so interesting. I find the characters in the works we are studying to be very human and down-to-earth. I came with no expectations and I am very happy with it. I wasn’t aware that Gibraltar was so fascinating and that it was such a complex place in terms of identity.”
Another student said she was going to write a thesis on Gibraltarian literature: “I’ve discovered many things, like the meaning of certain symbols in the context of Gibraltar. I’ve even chosen to write my Master’s thesis on this literature. Thank you to all the authors for taking time to write down these stories.”
