This book has its origins in a period that I spent living and working in Medellín. The experience sparked my interest in the work of Débora Arango, and later led me to broaden the scope of my research to encompass other areas of Colombian women's culture. Most of the fieldwork was carried out during a six-month study period in Medellín and Bogotá in 2005–6, funded by the United Kingdom Arts and Humanities Research Council, which supported my research throughout its latter stages. It would not have been possible to start the project without the generous support of the Centre of Latin American Studies and the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at the University of Cambridge, and Girton College, Cambridge, whilst the Department of European Studies and Modern Languages at the University of Bath has provided help with production costs.

I am deeply grateful to Geoffrey Kantaris for his support for me and for the project, especially for the generosity and enthusiasm with which he read and discussed earlier drafts. Special thanks are also due to Catherine Boyle, David Clarke, Adalgisa Giorgio, Gilberto Gómez Ocampo, Claire Lindsay, Abi Loxham, Joanna Page, Rory O'Bryen and Erica Segre for advice and comments.