"Silence will not protect you": Asserting Body Politics in Contemporary Spanish Autofiction

Abstract: Autofiction transposes the postmodern idea that all language is fiction into autobiographical writing. A transgenerational group of socially conscious women writers in Spain has embraced a model of autofiction rooted in the primacy of the social and the materiality of bodies over metaliterary speculation. Marta Sanz, Paula Bonet, and Sara Torres challenge the view of reality as mere text or simulacrum, presenting autofictions that foreground the social responsibility of the author and urge readers to engage with their historical present. Central to their narratives is an acknowledgment of vulnerability as a shared condition, as conceptualized by Judith Butler and Audre Lorde, not only as a site of resistance but also as a means of empowerment. These writers critique neoliberal and patriarchal norms, advocating for social change through heightened awareness and solidarity among women, thereby re-politicizing Spain's literary scene. By adopting a centrifugal rather than centripetal approach to autofiction, they transition from individual experiences to collective social consciousness, fostering new ethical imaginations.