Services — 02 · Literature

Literary translation with an editor's ear.

Novels, essays, short stories, and poetry — translated across English, Spanish, and German with the precise care each distinct voice demands. I work in close dialogue with authors, editors, and publishing houses to preserve the vital core of the original work: its rhythm, ambiguity, and stylistic register.

Request a quote→ See portfolio→

Literary translation — stack of translated books

N° 02 / 05
Services Literary — EN · ES · DE

Genres

What I translate.

I work fluently across the English ↔ Spanish pair, alongside a dedicated specialization in literary translation from German into Spanish. I accept commissions from established publishing houses, academic presses, and independent authors when there is a true artistic alignment with the project.

Narrative

Literary fiction, historical narratives, and creative non-fiction.

Novel
Essay & cultural criticism

Philosophical essays, the essay of ideas, and deep cultural or literary criticism.

Essay
Short stories & chronicles

Single-author collections, literary journalism, and curated anthologies.

Narrative
Poetry

Meticulous, rhythm-focused translations where the poem's structure and soul are handled with absolute reverence.

Poetry
Editorial & rights material

Prefaces, introductions, book proposals, jacket copy, and sample chapters for international catalogs.

Editorial

My method

How I approach a literary text.

I do not translate word for word; I translate intent, breath, and cadence. Every author has a unique syntax — a way of pacing a sentence and holding a silence. My role is to discover the truest equivalent in the target language without domesticating the text's original spirit.

Phase 01

Immersive reading

I read the entire work cover-to-cover before translating a single line. I map out the narrative architecture, the internal system of cultural references, the character registers, and the rhetorical risks. Without this foundational mapping, a translation lacks structural integrity.

Phase 02

Dialogue with the author

Whenever possible, I establish a direct line of communication with the author. Our discussions target specific textual nuances — a localized idiom, an obscure allusion, or an intentional shift in tone. This active collaboration eliminates guesswork and protects the author's vision.

Phase 03

Rhythmic draft & rewriting

The initial pass is executed under rhythmic, rather than purely lexical, pressure to capture the music of the text. This is followed by multiple layers of rigorous polishing, ensuring every stylistic choice is answerable to the original voice. The goal is a text that reads seamlessly, as if it had been originally conceived in the target language.

Phase 04

Collaborative editorial polish

I deliver a highly polished manuscript to the publisher, welcoming the editor's insights. The final translation is only locked in after a collaborative, iterative review. I never consider a literary text "definitive" until it has undergone this shared editorial journey.

Portfolio