Crossings

26 May 2025

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Literary translator Júlia Sanches in conversation with writer Susana Moreira Marques about the creative and challenging processes in the crossing a literary work makes from one language to another. Júlia is in Lisbon as part of KEF Portugal's Ateliê Programme to work on the translation of the book Terceiro andar sem elevador (Third Floor Without a Lift), by Moreira Marques, published in 2024 by Companhia das Letras.

Julia Sanches translates works from Portuguese, Spanish and Catalan into English. Her first published translation in English was the non-fiction book Now and at the Hour of Our Death, also by Susana Moreira Marques. Among the authors she has translated are Luiz Ruffato, Geovani Martins, Eva Baltasar and Gabriela Wiener.

Júlia Sanches holds a degree in English Literature and Philosophy from the University of Edinburgh. She completed her Master's in Comparative Literature and Literary Translation at Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona. After working as an assistant and literary agent for several years at The Wylie Agency, representing authors from various parts of the world, Julia decided to focus her energies on literary translation, advocating for authors she identifies with. Born in São Paulo, Brazil, she currently lives in Providence, Rhode Island.

Susana Moreira Marques is the author of the literary non-fiction books Now and at the Hour of Our Death (translated into English, French and Spanish), Quanto tempo tem um dia (How Long Does a Day Last), Lenços pretos, chapéus de palha e brincos de ouro and Terceiro andar sem elevador. Her work has been published in magazines such as Granta, Tin House and Literary Hub, and in media outlets such as Público, Jornal de Negócios and BBC World Service. She was a columnist for Antena 1 and, more recently, for the newspaper Mensagem de Lisboa, where she began writing a series of «Notes from Lisbon». She also writes for television and film. She teaches non-fiction literature workshops at KEF Portugal and lives in Lisbon.

 

Information

26 May, at 7 pm
Rua de Santa Catarina, 9 - third floor
Subject to capacity