Writing the Neighbourhood: Literary Representations of Language, Space and Mobility

In recent decades translingual and transcultural literary narratives have brought to the fore how the interplay of languages within superdiverse urban spaces1 contributes to an individual’s experience of the city. This has led, in turn, to a new engagement with the interrelated issues of linguistic and cultural diversity and the spatial construction of identity. Combining insights from cultural geography and translation studies, this chapter examines recent literary texts that focus on multi-ethnic urban scenarios in Italy. It will draw attention to the ‘translation zones’ – urban areas of intense interaction across languages2 – produced by increased mobility and new settlements. In particular, it will explore the ‘cultural edges’ produced by transnational migration flows: transitional areas that ‘are zones of social interaction, cross-fertilization, and synergy wherein people not only exchange material goods but also learn from one another’