I founded the Ecuadorian Association of Interpreters and Translators, and have devoted my life to translation and literature. I have translated 12 books and just published an anthology of short stories with other 8 Ecuadorian and international writers. Although I work in professional translation/interpretation on a daily basis, and have done so for the last 15 years, my goal has always been to devote my time to literature translation/writing. Literature has been a passion since my early years. At present I am working together with a Spanish colleague to translate from French a novel by Malian writer Hampaté Bà, not yet translated into Spanish.
Besides being passionate about language and writing, I have also loved translation and sometimes feel that this art it is being left to non professionals. I truly believe in the words I read once: "National literature is written by authors - universal literature is written by translators."
I am living in my home country at present, but I travel every year and always come home with books. I am fortunate enough to be able to read in five languages, so I usually bring back books from authors from the places I travel to. I have lived abroad for many years since my childhood – 1 year in Colombia, 4 years in the United States, two years in France (college), and two years in Italy (college.) This, and my job as a translator, which also entails traveling, has made me aware of the significance of cultures and, in relation to language and translation, the need for localization, an element which is often missing from many literary translations.
I have 3 years of Sociology studies and my undergraduate degree is on Language and Literature. However, I think that my best background is my experience throughout these years together with my passion for literature and language. Below is a list of the books I've translated/edited, of which donly one is a short novel:
“Savages”, Joe Kane, Macmillan Publishers Ltd., 456 pg. corrected ed., London, 1996 (printing) (translated 2004)
“Ecuador”, Pete Oxford & Reneé Bish, Imprenta Mariscal, 198 pgs., Quito, Ecuador, 2004.
“Chagras”, Pete Oxford & Reneé Bish, Imprenta Mariscal, 153 pgs. Quito. Ecuador, 2004.
“Ecuador: A Land of Frogs”, Pete Oxford & Reneé Bish, Imprenta Mariscal, 54 pgs. Quito. Ecuador, 2004.
“Capítulos que Se Le Olvidaron a Montalvo”, Xavier González C., 95 pgs. (Spanish editing), Quito, April, 2006.
“Memorias del Edén”, Grupo Maresa, Quito, 2007 (Spanish editing, translation to English)
“The Spirit of the Huaorani”, Imprenta Mariscal, 144 pgs. Quito. Ecuador, 2007.
“L’Étrange Destin de Wangrin ou Les Roueries d’un interprète africain”, Amadou Hampaté Bâ (ongoing translation from French to Spanish).
“Ecuador: A Land of Frogs”, Pete Oxford & Reneé Bish, Imprenta Mariscal, 54 pgs. Quito. Ecuador, 2004, translation to Spanish.
“Superficies Profundas”, Gabriela Malo, Imprenta Mariscal, Quito. Ecuador, December 2009, Spanish editing, translation to English.
“Miradas”, Juan Diego Pérez, Imprenta Mariscal, Quito, Ecuador, May 2010, Spanish editing, translation to English.
“Life in the Ecuadorian Amazon – Movement, Forms, and Colors in the Villano Field, AGIP.
“Caleidoscopio creativo”, Farhana Khan-Matthies, translation to Spanish, 2010.
“Labyrinth Inside the Mirror”, Lorena Cordero, Spanish editing, translation to English, 2012.
