Looking Sideways to Italy in Contemporary World Literature

This article sketches a history of how the concept Italy has travelled worldwide to become mobile cultural symbol in order show how, as signifier, “Italy” also increasingly detached from any national parameters territory. It employs lateral method “looking sideways” at literary representations “outside” canon they can put pressure on what (and where) Italian culture now resides. Analyzing three contemporary works world literature partially set (Daša Drndić’s Trieste, Rachel Kushner’s The Flamethrowers, and Pajtim Statovci’s Crossing), it suggests that we might consider broadening out transnational include neither written by Italians nor Italian, but offer sideways insight into elsewhere.