Bruna Dantas Lobato at the 2023 National Book Awards

Bruna Dantas Lobato is a writer and translator of Brazilian literature. Her translation of ''The Words That Remain'' by Stênio Gardel won the 2023

National Book Award for Translated Literature The National Book Award for Translated Literature is one of five annual National Book Awards recognising outstanding literary works of translation into English administered by the National Book Foundation. This award was previously given from 1967 ...

. Her translation of ''The Dark Side of Skin'' by

Jeferson Tenório Jeferson Tenorio (born 1977) is a Brazilian writer. He was born in Rio de Janeiro and now lives in Porto Alegre. He obtained a PhD in Literary Theory from PUC-RS (Pontifical Catholic University of Rio Grande do Sul). His debut novel ''O beijo na ...

won an English PEN Translates Award, and her translation of ''Moldy Strawberries'' by

Caio Fernando Abreu Caio Fernando Loureiro de Abreu (September 12, 1948 – February 25, 1996), best known as Caio Fernando Abreu, was one of the most influential and original Brazilian writers of the 1970s and 1980s. Caio F., as he habitually signed his letters, was b ...

was longlisted for the

PEN Translation Prize The PEN Translation Prize (formerly known as the PEN/Book-of-the-Month Club Translation Prize through 2008) is an annual award given by PEN America (formerly PEN American Center) to outstanding translations into the English language. It has been pr ...

and the

Republic of Consciousness Prize The Republic of Consciousness Prize for Small Presses is an annual British literary prize founded by the author Neil Griffiths. It rewards fiction published by UK and Irish small presses, defined as those with fewer than five full-time employees ...

Early life and education

Dantas Lobato was born in Natal, in the

Northeast of Brazil The Northeast Region of Brazil ( pt, Região Nordeste do Brasil; ) is one of the five official and political regions of the country according to the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics. Of Brazil's twenty-six states, it comprises n ...

. As a high school student, she was selected to the

United States Department of State The United States Department of State (DOS), or State Department, is an executive department of the U.S. federal government responsible for the country's foreign policy and relations. Equivalent to the ministry of foreign affairs of other n ...

and U.S. Embassy in Brazil exchange program Youth Ambassadors, which first brought her to the United States to study U.S. politics and youth leadership. As a Youth Ambassador to Brazil, Dantas Lobato visited the

White House The White House is the official residence and workplace of the president of the United States. It is located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., and has been the residence of every U.S. president since John Adams in 1800. ...

, where she met

Michelle Obama Michelle LaVaughn Robinson Obama (born January 17, 1964) is an American attorney and author who served as first lady of the United States from 2009 to 2017. She was the first African-American woman to serve in this position. She is married t ...

. She was an avid reader from a young age and took her first creative writing class as a scholarship student at

Phillips Exeter Academy (not for oneself) la, Finis Origine Pendet (The End Depends Upon the Beginning) gr, Χάριτι Θεοῦ (By the Grace of God) , location = 20 Main Street , city = Exeter, New Hampshire , zipcode ...

. She has an MFA in Creative Writing from

New York University New York University (NYU) is a private research university in New York City. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded by a group of New Yorkers led by then-Secretary of the Treasury Albert Gallatin. In 1832, the ...

, an MFA in Literary Translation from the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public university, public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is org ...

, and a BA in Literature from Bennington College, where she is Visiting Faculty for Spring 2024.

Life and work

In addition to translating Brazilian literature into English, Dantas Lobato an advocate for translators translating out of their heritage languages and has led panels on the topic. Dantas Lobato currently serves on the board of directors of the American Literary Translators Association. She lives in St. Louis.

Awards

*2019:

PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grant The PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grants were established in 2003 by PEN America (formerly PEN American Center) following a gift of $730,000 by Michael Henry Heim, a noted literary translator. Heim believed that there was a 'dismayingly low number of ...

for ''Moldy Strawberries'' by

*2022: Longlist,

for ''Moldy Strawberries'' by Caio Fernando Abreu *2023: Longlist,

for ''Moldy Strawberries'' by Caio Fernando Abreu. *2023: English PEN Translates Award for ''The Dark Side of Skin'' by

* 2023:

for ''The Words That Remain'' by Stênio Gardel

Books

Translations

* ''Moldy Strawberries'' by

(Archipelago Books, 2022) * ''The Words that Remain'' by Stênio Gardel (

New Vessel Press New Vessel Press is an independent publishing house specializing in the translation of foreign literature and narrative nonfiction into English. New Vessel Press books have been widely reviewed in publications including ''The New York Times' ...

, 2023) * ''The Collector of Heads'' by Ana Matsusaki ( Tapioca Stories, 2023) * ''The Dark Side of Skin'' by

(

Charco Press Charco Press is an independent publisher based in Edinburgh. Established in 2017 by Samuel McDowell and Carolina Orloff, Charco specialises in translating contemporary Latin American fiction into English. The publisher has met with notable success ...

, 2024) * ''Suite Tokyo'' by Giovana Madalosso (

Europa Editions Europa Editions is an independent trade publisher based in New York. The company was founded in 2005 by the owners of the Italian press Edizioni E/O and specializes in literary fiction, mysteries, and narrative non-fiction. Europa has published ...

, 2024) * ''If I Were'' ''a Puta'' by Amara Moira (

Feminist Press The Feminist Press (officially The Feminist Press at CUNY) is an American independent nonprofit literary publisher that promotes freedom of expression and social justice. It publishes writing by people who share an activist spirit and a belief in ...

, 2025) * ''No Dragons in Paradise'' by

(

Archipelago Books Archipelago Books is an American not-for-profit publisher dedicated to promoting cross-cultural exchange through international literature in translation." Located in Brooklyn, New York, it publishes small to mid-size runs of international fiction ...

, 2025)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Lobato, Bruna Dantas Phillips Exeter Academy alumni New York University alumni University of Iowa alumni Bennington College alumni Year of birth missing (living people) Living people People from Natal, Rio Grande do Norte Brazilian translators