ABSTRACT
By contesting what they see as the norms and values of the literary field, ‘mavericks’ such as Das Mag run the risk of being neglected or excluded. This contribution explores how this self-branding process takes place in the context of Lize Spit’s bestselling debut The Melting (2016). Key to the Das Mag brand are anti-conventional, ironic, and democratic rhetorical devices. This chapter examines how Spit conforms to or deviates from this brand, as well as how other actors in the literary field respond to this. This contribution demonstrates how Das Mag’s self-proclaimed maverick position does not lead to an expulsion from the literary field but on the contrary sees the Das Mag brand flourishing.
