Acknowledgements
Many of the ideas presented in this book were conceived or refined after conversations with Andrea Espinoza Carvajal. I thank her for constantly challenging my arguments, improving my work and making me a better person in the process.
I also thank Elisa Sampson Vera Tudela and Catherine Boyle, from King’s College London, who read and reread more drafts chapters than I can remember. Their insightful, honest and kind advice was critical in the making of this book.
My brother, the Guayaquil-based artist Miguel Medina, created this book’s beautiful cover art. Miguel kindly agreed to read my manuscript and came up with a series of paintings to dialogue with the ideas I present here. I thank him too.
I also express my gratitude to the Association of Hispanists of Great Britain and Ireland (AHGBI), who provided me with essential support for publishing.
Finally, the research summarised here would not have been possible without the generous support of the National Secretariat of Higher Education, Science, Technology and Innovation of Ecuador (SENESCYT).