Absent Echoes in Women’s Writing: The Marginal Position of Livia De Stefani wit- hin the Spanish Literary Canon

Abstract

Absent Echoes in Women’s Writing: The Marginal Position of Livia De Stefani within the Spanish Literary Canon

This article examines the limited yet significant reception of the Sicilian writer Livia De Stefani within the Spanish literary sphere from a feminist critical perspec- tive. Regarded as one of the first female authors to openly address the world of the mafia from a female perspective, De Stefani developed a narrative deeply rooted in gender tensions, trauma and patriarchal power in post-war Sicily. Despite its thematic and stylistic relevance, her work has been little translated and has received scant attention from Spanish critics. The study analyses the few available translations, mentions in literary criticism and her limited presence in Spanish academia, particularly in gender studies and comparative literature. Using an intersectional approach, it is argued that her invisibility stems not only from linguistic factors but also from the dynamics of exclusion affecting female writers from southern Europe. The article advocates for the rediscovery of De Stefani as a key figure for a more inclusive and feminist literary canon within the hispanic context.

Received: 03/01/2026

Admitted: 22/04/2026