Bruna Dantas Lobato
Brazilian-American writer and translator
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Bruna Dantas Lobato is a Brazilian fiction 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.[1][2] Her translation of The Dark Side of Skin by Jeferson Tenório won an English PEN Translates Award,[3] and her translation of Moldy Strawberries by Caio Fernando Abreu was longlisted for the PEN Translation Prize and the Republic of Consciousness Prize US and Canada.[4][5][6]
- Writer
- translator
Bruna Dantas Lobato | |
|---|---|
Bruna Dantas Lobato in 2023 | |
| Born | c. 1991 Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil |
| Education | |
| Occupations |
|
| Writing career | |
| Notable awards | National Book Award |
| Website | brunadantaslobato |
Her first novel, Blue Light Hours, was published in 2024 by Grove Atlantic in North America.[7][8][9] The novel was expanded from a story originally published in The New Yorker. The Portuguese-language edition was published by Brazilian publisher Companhia das Letras in her own translation with the title Horas azuis.[10][11] Her stories have been published in The New Yorker,[12] Guernica,[13] A Public Space,[14] and The Common.[15]
Early life and education
Dantas Lobato was born and raised in Natal, in the Northeast of Brazil.[16] As a low-income high school student, she was selected by the United States Department of State and U.S. Embassy for the Brazil exchange program Youth Ambassadors,[17][18] 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, where she met Michelle Obama.[19][20]
She has an MFA in Creative Writing from New York University, an MFA in Literary Translation from the University of Iowa, and a BA in Literature from Bennington College.[21][22][23]
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.[24][25][26]
Dantas Lobato served on the board of directors of the American Literary Translators Association from 2021 to 2024.[27] She is an assistant professor of English and creative writing at Grinnell College.[21]
Honors
| Year | Nominated work | Award | Category | Result | Ref. |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Moldy Strawberries by Caio Fernando Abreu | PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grants | Winner | [6] | |
| 2022 | Republic of Consciousness Prize US and Canada | Longlisted | [5] | ||
| 2023 | PEN Translation Prize | Longlisted | [4] | ||
| The Dark Side of Skin by Jeferson Tenório | English PEN Translates Award | Winner | [3] | ||
| The Words That Remain by Stênio Gardel | National Book Award | Translated Literature | Winner | [1][16] | |
| 2024 | Dublin Literary Award | Longlisted | [28] |
Selected publications
Fiction
- "Firsthand Account" (The Common, 2017)
- "Diversions" (A Public Space, 2018)
- "Reunion" (Guernica, 2022)
- "Snowstorm" (The New Yorker, 2022)
- Blue Light Hours (Grove Atlantic, 2024)
Translations
- Moldy Strawberries by Caio Fernando Abreu (Archipelago Books, 2022)
- The Words that Remain by Stênio Gardel (New Vessel Press, 2023)
- The Collector of Heads by Ana Matsusaki (Tapioca Stories, 2023)
- The Dark Side of Skin by Jeferson Tenório (Charco Press, 2024)
- The Tokyo Suite by Giovana Madalosso (Europa Editions, 2025)
- So What If I'm a Puta by Amara Moira (Feminist Press, 2025)
- There's No Point in Dying by Francisco Maciel (New Vessel Press, 2026)
- No Dragons in Paradise by Caio Fernando Abreu (Archipelago Books, 2026)
- Niterói Lights by Marcello Quintanilha (Fantagraphics, 2026)