Mapping British Latinx Writing

There are an estimated quarter of a million Latin Americans living in the UK, yet they remain outside the British national imaginary. This invisibility has historically extended to the literary scene and publishing industry, with only very few British-based Latin American and Latinx writers gaining any exposure. However, recent years have seen increased opportunities for Latin American and Latinx writers in Britain, largely due to the efforts of grassroots and independent publishing to create spaces for Latinx representation. This essay sketches the current landscape of our literature, tracing a timeline of the three generations of Latin American and Latinx writing in Britain and highlighting some of the writing groups, publishers and events that have forged a Latin American presence. I also propose some of the shared themes and aesthetics of an emergent British Latinx canon.