World Cup of Fiction Preview: Groups E-H

Although the actual World Cup starts later today, there might be times (depending upon work) where the World Cup of Fiction write-ups (which this time will focus more on comparisons of 1-3 writers/poets per country in the name of fairness and my own limited exposure to certain national literatures) might be behind by a day or two.  Think of it more like reading a newspaper account of the previous day/s' matches, I suppose.  But regardless of this, time for a slightly truncated version of the group previews for the remaining four literary groups:

Group E

 Ecuador 

La Tri (not to be confused with Mexico's El Tri) may appear to be the minnow of the South American nations in terms of its size, population, and literature, but there are a few 20th century writers who have gained regional, if not global, recognition for their literary talents.  Abdón Ubidia is one writer to watch during Ecuador's literary matches.

 France

Les Bleus are one of the favorites to win the 2014 World Cup of Fiction.  Boasting a line-up of poets, short fiction writers, dramatists, philosophers, and historians that rivals any that other nations could through at them, the French literary side's only real apparent weaknesses is their propensity to sleep with and to argue with each other.

 Honduras 

Los Catrachos might not be on the radar of casual international literary fans, but the likes of a Horacio Castellanos Moya cannot be overlooked.  Do not be surprised if the Honduran side notches at least a draw in one of their three literary matches.

Switzerland 

Die Schweizer Nati may be overshadowed by their French, German, and Italian neighbors, but Switzerland has produced in its history two world-class storytellers:  the historian Jakob Burckhardt and the children's writer Johann Wyss.  Certain a literary side to take on with caution.


Group F 

 Argentina 

La Albicelestes are a traditional South American literary powerhouse, fielding writers and poets such as Jorge Luis Borges, Adolfo Bioy Casares, Manuel Puig, Silvina Ocampo, Roberto Arlt, Angélica Gorodischer, and many, many more.  They may be the slight favorite in this tough literary group, one of the toughest of the tournament.

 Bosnia and Hercegovina 

The Zmajevi boasts a Nobel Prize-winning writer (although this is disputed by Serbia, who is not participating in this tournament), Ivo Andrić, and there are several other writers like Miroslav Krleža who are not far behind in literary quality.  Certainly a fun and exciting literary side to read in recent years.

 Iran 

Whether they are called Team Melli or the Princes of Persia, the Iranian literary side has suffered from the literary oppression of the past 35 years in their country.  Nevertheless, Iran/Persia was a source, if not the chief, for The Thousand and One Nights and its poets, medieval and 20th/21st century alike, are world-class.  Dangerous literary side.

Nigeria 

The Super/Green Eagles are quickly becoming a global literary force after the emergence of several writers in recent years.  While most high school students may be familiar with Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart, recently Ben Okri, Chimamanda Adichie, and Okey Ndibe have emerged as the next literary generation to Achebe and Wole Soyinka, a Nobel Prize-winning writer.  Nigeria is yet another literary side to watch from this tough group.

Group G 

 Germany 

Die Nationalmannschaft may be one of the football side's nicknames, but it may be fitting for their literary side to have such a direct moniker.  Goethe.  Schiller.  Rilke.  Mann.  Grass.  These names alone, leaving aside the philosophers (who are quite busy right now in their own World Cup), alone are enough to make the German literary side a threat to win it all, if they can manage to escape this literary Group of Death.

 Ghana

The Black Stars will be decisive underdogs in each of their literary group matches, but they do boast one of the 20th century's most renowned poets, Kofi Awoonor, so if the match were to come down to best modern poetry, the Ghanaians certainly have a shot to achieve at least a literary draw.

 Portugal 

The Selecção das Quinas might not be as strong as their football counterparts, but boasting 20th and 21st century writers such as José Saramago and Gonçalo M. Tavares, the Portuguese literary side certainly is strong enough to move on to the knockout stage.

United States 

The Y***s * (as a Southerner, I refuse to have that nickname apply to my native region ;)) are a dominant publishing force over the past century, but is their literature really worthy of such pre-eminence?  Perhaps, but only if one discards most of the nation's first half of existence and focus on the past 150 years and even then, quite a few of the literary giants on the global stage come from only a few scattered sub genres.  The Southerners on the pitch, especially Mark Twain, William Faulkner, Harper Lee, and Flannery O'Connor, perhaps are the best of a deep bunch, what with Faulkner's vaunted dead mule kick and all, but the true danger lies in the perception that the American squad might be "too insular" in order to adapt to changing literary styles and attacks.

Group H 

 Algeria 

While Les Fennecs might possess the best literary nickname, there really isn't much Algerian literature that isn't Francophone that has entered global literary awareness.  Counting the Algerian-born Albert Camus certainly raises the profile of the Algerian literary side, but Algeria is a mystery heading into the literary World Cup.

 B**gium

It certainly doesn't bode well for the Diables Rouges that the first thing that occurred to me when thinking of their country and literature was an old Douglas Adams joke from the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy series.  However, Jean Ray, particularly Malpertius, is a favorite of mine, so the Belgians do have a shot at advancing, depending on the initial matches.

 Russia

Sbornaya, simply the National Team, might be an understatement here.  The Russians certainly possess a rich and varied literary tradition, even though there have not yet been quite the number of literary talents after the fall of Communism in 1991 that there was before the October Revolution of 1917.  Still, Dostoevsky, Tolstoy, Turgenev, Chekhov, and Pasternak make for an exciting and dangerous literary side, possibly enough to ensure Russia's advancement deep into the tournament.

South Korea 

The Taeguk might have to fight like their warrior namesakes if they are going to advance.  South Korea has had one prominent writer, Kyung-sook Shin, the winner of the 2012 Man Asian Literary Prize, emerge in recent years, and while the South Koreans have not been a fully independent nation-state for more than the past 69 years, they are not to be taken lightly here.

World Cup of Fiction Preview: Group D

Click here for Group C preview.

Although Group D has two formidable national literary sides, it is a bit more clear-cut as to which are the two dominant literary nations.  Yet this does not mean there is a dearth of quality writers in any of these nations.  If anything, there is a greater chance for true literary upsets here than in most of the other 7 literary groups.

 Costa Rica 

Los Ticos may have the weakest literary side in Central America, much less the 32 team World Cup of Fiction.  It is extremely difficult to track down via American online stores any works by Costa Rican writers that are not out of print or are available in e-book format.  However, there are two women writers, Carmen Lyra and Ana Istarú, who intrigue me and who are both available in e-book format, that intrigue me, so perhaps they will manage to spring a few literary surprises during the World Cup of Fiction.

 England 

Do I have to talk about English literary output here?  Can I make tired, worn-out jokes about their accents, dress, and teeth instead?  No?  OK, the Three Lions may have an unfair literary advantage here, considering it is the lingua franca these days and a literary tradition that stretches back to the Venerable Bede and the anonymous writer of Beowulf to Chaucer to Shakespeare to the Spice Girls makes for a very intimidating literary side.  But as the English football side are known for choking on the largest stage of the sport purportedly founded there, the English literary side might engage in odd lapses that might stall their advance beyond the initial knockout stage.

 Italy 

The Azzurri are the one literary side in this group that may challenge England's presumed literary superiority.  Leaving aside the ancient Roman writers (if one wants to focus on Italia as a whole over the past 2800 years), the Italians can claim several great Renaissance writers, from Dante, Petrarch, and Boccaccio to Boiardo, Macchiavelli, Ariosto, and Tasso.  There have been several excellent 20th century writers as well, including Umberto Eco, Elsa Morante, Alberto Moravia, Italo Calvino, Dino Buzzati, and several other excellent writers.  If the football side is known for its inexplicable luck and grinding defensive style, the Italian literary side may seem fresher, more experimental than what Anglophone readers may be accustomed to reading.  Should make for an exciting matchup when they face England.

Uruguay 

La Celeste have traditionally been overshadowed by their Argentine and Brazilian neighbors, both in football and in literary output.  However, Uruguay has produced several excellent novelists, short fiction writers, and poets, including Horacio Quiroga, Mario Benedetti, and Juan Carlos Onetti.  While the Uruguayan side might not be as deep as the English or Italian sides, these three writers/poets can present matchup problems, so it is best not to discount them in a one-on-one literary match.

World Cup of Fiction Preview: Group C

Click here for the Group B preview.

Group C could be, at least in the eyes of some literary observers, a literary group of death.  There are three very strong national literary traditions in this group and choosing two to advance, much less a group favorite, may well prove to be very difficult.  Yet despite the strengths of each individual literary side, each differs significantly from the others in terms of national literary heroes and their styles of storytelling.

Colombia 

Ga-bo!  Ga-bo!  Ga-bo!  Even despite his death earlier this year, Los Cafeteros still possess a very potent attack.  Whether it is levitating priests or swarms of butterflies descending upon the pitch, or perhaps something grittier, more "real," like the stories of Laura Restrepo or recent Premio Alfaguara winner Juan Gabriel Vásquez, the Colombians certainly possess world-class novelists from the past half-century with which to harry their foes into submission.  If things manage to fall the Cafeteros' way, their opponents very well might be lamenting "en una hora mala."

Côte d'Ivoire 

Les Elephants may not quite have the established written literary traditions of the others in Group C, but they certainly do have some rising stars, such as the novelist Ahmadou Kourouma, whose Allah is not Obliged has recently been translated into English, or Bernard Dadié, or even several other 20th and 21st century writers and poets.  An elephant never forgets and it may prove that Les Elephants will strike suddenly and move readers who may be jaded by some of the literary discourse from one of the other nations in the group.

Greece 

Greece has long had the exalted reputation of being the cradle of Western civilization.  Its ancient poets, philosophers, and playwrights have long captivated readers from divers cultures.  Homer.  Aristophanes.  Pindar.  Sappho.  The list could stretch for several pages and still leave out several quality writers.  But for the Piratiko, it won't be as simple as sallying forth from the Pirate Ship and capturing victories.  The Greek literary side is very long in the tooth and not as many modern readers are as familiar with their works, even in translation.  But wily literary veterans can never be overlooked and the Greeks certainly will be formidable.

Japan 

The Blue Samurai certainly have a wealth of literary superstars spanning centuries, from the writer of The Tale of Genji to Haruki Murakami, Kobo Abe, Yoko Ogawa, and Banana Yoshimoto, the Japanese literary side certainly can strike from anywhere on the literary pitch.  Not committed to a singular literary style, the Blue Samurai pose a threat to any national literary side who opposes them on the literary pitch.  Along with Colombia and Greece, Japan is a tentative favorite to advance to the knockout stage,

World Cup of Fiction Preview: Group B

Click here for description of the 2014 groupings and the Group A preview.

Like Group A, the Group B countries contain a mixture of young and established literary traditions.  Yet with the possible exception of Spain, this group is perhaps more evenly matched than the first group, as there are not as many standouts for any of the participant countries.  In saying this, I am not alluding to actual literary quality or output as much as I am to international exposure, especially in the Anglophone nations.  Certainly there are several critically and popularly-acclaimed writers from these countries, some of which have received recent international acclaim, and in a matchup of individual writers, there is a very real chance of a national literary upset.

Australia 

The Socceroos have long been overshadowed by their larger, older Anglo-American kin, but those who are tempted to look at Australia's relative sparse population density and conclude that this young nation has not produced many world-class fiction writers over the past century will find themselves greatly mistaken.  Writers such as the Nobel Prize-winning novelist Patrick White, two-time Booker Prize winner Peter Carey, Colleen McCullough, and Nevil Shute (whose On the Beach was a staple of many Anglo-American school reading lists during the Cold War) certainly make Australia a literary power worthy of respect.  However, the Australian side might be a bit weak when it comes to poetry or to the lack of visible aboriginal or immigrant writing voices.

Chile

La Roja may be less familiar to football/literary enthusiasts than the other "roja" in Group B, but lately there have been some excellent Chilean writers who have made literary waves outside South America.  The most visible of these young writers, Roberto Bolaño, spent most of his adult life living outside Chile, but certainly his writing has struck a chord with writers who grew up during the days of Pinochet's rule.  Alberto Fuguet, whether one considers him as a writer or a film writer, certainly has been an influential Latin American voice over the past twenty years.  But before Fuguet helped co-found the McOndo anthology/erstwhile literary movement, Chile had produced several outstanding poets:  Gabriela Mistral, Pablo Neruda, and Nicanor Parra being just the most visible of a century-spanning crop of talented poets.  If the outcomes were based on poetry comparisons, then Chile might be a slight favorite in the majority of the contests.

The Netherlands 

The Clockwork Orange may not have been the host country for Anthony Burgess's famous novel of that name, but certainly the Dutch have developed a reputation in recent years for precise yet harrowing literature.  Although long overshadowed by their Teutonic neighbors, the Dutch literary side have produced a trio of recent literary stars, Harry Mulisch, Tommy Wieringa, and Gerbrand Bakker, the latter of whom won an IMPAC Dublin Literary Prize and the Independent Foreign Fiction Prize.  Despite the talents of these three novelists, the Dutch are not as well-known in international circles for their prose or their poetry, so they likely will be the underdogs in any literary matchup.

Spain

La Furia Roja, the Red Fury, certainly has a catchy ring to it.  The defending FIFA World Cup Champions certainly can field a very solid, wide-ranging literary side as well.  Whether one prefers medieval epic poems like Mio Cid or early modern masterworks like Cervantes's Don Quijote or Lope de Vega's poetry and plays, or perhaps the early 20th century writer Miguel Unamuno, a member of the "Generation of '98," or more recently, Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Spanish literature is rich in its diverse forms and interesting authorial personalities.  Yet with the exception of Zafón, few Spanish writers have managed to make a literary splash in the early 21st century (I leave Bolaño out of this, as although he had Spanish residency for nearly two decades before his death, he was as much a Chilean as a Spanish immigrant), so if the literary comparisons were to switch to the past decade's production, the Spanish literary side might be at a disadvantage.  However, when the entire national literary output is considered, Spain might be the slight literary favorite out of this group.

World Cup of Fiction Preview: Group A

Although the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil does not begin until June 12th, it is not too early to begin writing the Group previews for the 32 nation World Cup of Fiction (and Poetry) that will take place on this blog during the timeframe of the FIFA tournament.  I did a version of this for the 2010 World Cup, but that was a bit rushed due to starting it during the middle of group play, so for this iteration, I would like to be able to devote more time to covering specific writers and poets from countries, like the African ones represented here, that receive relatively scant coverage even from sites devoted to international fiction.  In order to do this, especially for those countries whose literary traditions in print form do not possess the deep roots of others, I am going to try to balance it out as much as possible, likely choosing a modern poet from one of the more "established" literary powers to go up against, say, a poet from Cameroon or Côte d'Ivoire (if I cannot locate novelists from these countries in time for individual group play matches).  Hopefully, this will lead to more intrigue, as otherwise it could devolve into a perceived mismatch that would lessen the enjoyment of writing these posts, not to mention reduce the chances of someone seeking out new authors due to a lack of proper treatment.

Therefore, when two literary sides match up, there will be only 1-2 authors discussed per country in the writeup and while there will be some allusions to actual football/soccer in the comparisons, the focus this time will be more on the individual merits of these writers.  Now with all of this convoluted explanation out of the way, time to commence with the Group A preview:

Group A:

Brazil
Cameroon
Croatia
Mexico

Brazil

Whether they are called the Canarinhos or simply O Seleção, the Brazilian literary side may enjoy a slight bit of a homepitch advantage here.  Capable of fielding a side that includes writers as diverse as Clarice Lispector, Moacyr Scliar, Jorge Amado, and Machado de Assis, among others, the Brazilian side is strong on Modernist short fiction, with some deftness among those who use magic realist techniques to tell engrossing stories.  If there is a weakness, it might be in poetry, as their poets are not as well-known outside the Lusophone sphere.

Cameroon 

Les Lions Indomptables may have to live up to their football side's courageous nickname, as their literary tradition is not as familiar to world lit readers as are those of the other three members of this group.  However, the Cameroon side does have a group of 20th century poets who have been translated into English and other major global languages:  Simon Mpondo, Mbella Sonne Dipoko, and Patrice Kayo. Cameroon does have a promising young novelist and poet, Patrice Nganang, whose Dog Days was translated into English back in 2006.  If Cameroon hopes to advance, it will have to pin its hopes on its strong lineup of poets, although there certainly is a chance that it will spring a literary upset on one of the literary powers.

Croatia 

The Vatreni will likely bring some of their renowned literary fire to their group play match ups.  Capable of fielding a diverse set of writers ranging from Daša Drndić to Dubravka Ugrešić to Miroslav Krleža, the Croatians appear to be strongest when it comes to realist literature of the 20th and early 21st centuries.  They may be a bit suspect when it comes to defending against a strong poetic counterattack, so it will be interesting to see if their aggressive literary themes can withstand a quick striking counter from their opponents.

Mexico 

El Tri has baffled literary observers for years.  Despite possessing a wealth of essayists, poets, and writers, the Mexican literary side barely qualified for this year's World Cup of Fiction, as they needed to win a playoff against New Zealand in order to advance.  The 2012 death of Carlos Fuentes seems to have discouraged this team, as there has yet to emerge a suitable replacement.  Yet the combination of Ignacio Padilla and Jorge Volpí, with their Crack Manifesto system of short, sharp literary texts peppered with incendiary prose, promises to wreak havoc on unprepared foes.  Yet the problem of this side remains their relative age.  Old war horses like Octavio Paz and Sor Juana have provided many thrilling moments over the centuries, yet in 2014 their influence on the pace of the play may be on the wane, as other literary sides can bring to bear newer, more revolutionary writers.  Mexico's literary fate may depend upon its ability to develop its reverses quickly upon to stem any reverses on the pitch and to provide a punchy counterattack to provide the necessary points for advancement.


The preview of Group B should be up by the weekend.  Any guesses as to which should be the two favorites to advance to the Knockout Stage?

Starting preparations for the 2014 World Cup of Fiction posts

Those of you who are long-time followers of this blog might recall a series of posts I did during June 2010 during the FIFA World Cup that I called the World Cup of Fiction.  For those that missed it, here's the category link that perhaps might provide a few chuckles (and here's the origin behind my posts).  Since I have four weeks before the first matches, I think I'll expand the concept somewhat and write a series of literary profiles for each of the 32 teams (likely including a review of at least one writer, poet, or playwright) during this time, starting with Groups A and B next week and covering two groups a week until June 12, when the actual matches begin.  Starting then, I'll take the actual group play matches and write short literary "matches" each day until the knockout rounds, which will vary from the actual football matches in that I'll likely select (or perhaps consider reader comments/votes as well for each thread) 16 to advance and then "seed" them along group lines, continuing from there until the finals.

Hopefully there will be some who'll want to do this on their own sites/blogs (or maybe social media?) and dozens of new writers from all across the globe can be introduced to readers while also having quite a bit of fun.  Who's up for at least reading along, if not actively suggesting titles/authors and later on winners?