Robin Myers, a New York translator, was recently surprised to learn that her translation of the novel 'We Are Green and Trembling,' by Argentine author Gabriela Cabezón Cámara, is a finalist for the 2025 National Book Awards in the Translated Literature category. Myers, who resides in Buenos Aires with his partner and child, highlights the importance of translation work to integrate international literature into the U.S. publishing market, where only 3% of published books are translations. The novel, originally titled 'The Girls of Naranjel', challenged Myers to recreate in English the hybrid and changing prose of the original Spanish, a task that took almost a year to complete.
After years of immersion in the Spanish-speaking world, Myers says that translation has provided him with a personal and professional connection with Mexico and beyond. Since moving to Mexico City in 2011, they have dedicated themselves to translating literature from Spanish into English, highlighting the importance of the craft as a form of artistic and cultural resistance in the face of global complacency. The translator highlights the relevance of "We Are Green and Trembling" in the current context, linking themes of historical genocide with contemporary situations in Palestine. In addition to their career in translation, Myers is about to publish their first poetry collection in English, "Centro", with Cafe Press in 2027.
Read the full news article on The Country.
