The Romani Ethos: A Transnational Approach to Romani Literature

Abstract

In the context of the sociopolitical articulation of the Romani diaspora, this paper explores how its narrative is supported in four literary works written in different languages and national settings – Fires in the Dark by Louise Doughty, Camelamos Naquerar (We want to speak) by José Heredia Maya, Goddamn Gypsy by Ronald Lee, and Dites-le avec des pleurs (Say it with tears) by Mateo Maximoff – shaping a transnational/diasporicliterary production. Departing from the existence of a common Romani ethos, the analysis focuses on how these literary works shape a transnational/diasporic literature by representing the specificities of the Romani history – in particular the recollection of traumatic collective experiences – through a number of narrative strategies, such as self-representation or the depiction of cultural memory.