CORTÁZAR, Julio (1914–1984); RABASSA, Gregory (1922–2016). Archive of literary correspondence,1964 and 1982.

"Un abrazo fuerte de su amigo, Julio"

Important collection of letters from Julio Cortázar to his English translator. Gregory Rabassa played a pivotal role in shaping the global reception of Latin American literature, particularly through his 1966 translation of Julio Cortázar’s groundbreaking novel Rayuela [Hopscotch]. Earning Rabassa the 1976 National Book Award for Translation, Hopscotch marked the beginning of a close intellectual relationship between the two authors. Cortázar, known for his experimental forms and nonlinear narratives, found in Rabassa a translator capable of capturing the complexity of his prose. Rabassa’s work not only introduced Cortázar to English-speaking audiences but also helped define the Latin American literary boom of the 60s and 70s, positioning him as a central figure in the transnational dissemination of South American literature. His translations, including those of García Márquez and Vargas Llosa, were instrumental in constructing a literary canon that reshaped global perceptions of Latin American culture.

Gregory Rabassa dedicated his life to promoting South American literature through his English translations, becoming a close companion to Gabriel García Márquez, Mario Vargas Llosa and Julio Cortázar. He was honored with the 1977 PEN Translation Prize, the first US National Book Award in Translation and many additional accolades culminating with the National Medal of Arts in 2006.

The present archive comprises 39 TLsS and 15 ALsS ("Julio"), 2 copies, and a signed film poster, all together 59 items, in Spanish, written between 1964 and 1982. The papers largely concern Rabassa's work on Cortázar's Hopscotch, 62: A Model Kit, A Manual for Manuel, A Change of Light and Other Stories and A Certain Lucas. Each leaf is within a protective sleeve all together in a binder that also contains Rabassar's original folder for his Cortázar letters. [With:] Archive of Greogry Rabassa's Columbia University appointment letters, 54 leaves, most TLsL, from 1947 to 1971.

A previous description of this lot listed an autograph manuscript signed of Cortázar's poem “El gran juego.” Please note the lot does not include this manuscript.