Name: Lúcia Leão
Where you live: Boca Raton, FL
Email: leaoluci@gmail.com
What you’re doing these days: I am a full-time translator, interpreter, and writer.
Something you’re proud of: Having a son who was born in the United States and who is truly fully bilingual.
A bit of your background: I was born in Rio de Janeiro and moved to the United States in 1993. I have a bachelor’s degree in English and a master’s degree in Brazilian literature from the University of Rio de Janeiro (UERJ). I also have a master’s degree in print journalism from the University of Miami. In Brazil, I was also a translator from French into Portuguese and translated books by French philosophers such as Giles Deleuze and Félix Guattari.
How long have you been with ATA? And PLD member? I have been a member of ATA since 2000 and a member of PLD since then.
What did the ATA membership ATA and/or the PLD bring to you? Connecting with colleagues and learning from other language professionals is extremely important. I can say that I am an immigrant by choice, but starting a career in another country is not easy. I was lucky enough to meet Brazilian linguists who became friends and colleagues, and I met them through ATA.
Current project (or last/future interesting project/activities): In April 2023, I was part of the O, Miami Poetry Festival as the creator, project manager, and facilitator of their first bilingual event and writing workshop that included Portuguese. Participants created poems in English and Portuguese inspired by Heitor Villa-Lobos and the technique he used to transform skylines into musical phrases. The event was held at a Sagrado Café, a Brazilian coffee shop in Downtown Miami. All the poems are being translated into Portuguese, including one written in Italian.
I have also been working on a manuscript for my first book of poems, which has been helping me learn more about literary translation and self-translation. I am preparing one version in English and one in Portuguese. I continue to work in other areas that interest me, such as localization, transcreation, and subtitling.
A major challenge(s) in your career: Challenges seem to be more and more related to technology and new tools. I have seen many changes, from paper dictionaries to machine translation, and I am curious about what will come next.
Do you have a hobby? Two: walking and podcasts.
What is your favorite book in Portuguese Language literature? I recently rediscovered Joaquim de Sousândrade and his fascinating work, O Guesa. I would also include translations into Portuguese. Virginia Woolf’s books, translated by Tomaz Tadeu for Autêntica Editora, are among my favorites.
Currently on your reading list: Kitchen Table Translation, by Madhu H. Kaza (editor); Macunaíma, the Hero with no Character, translated by Karina Dodson; and Brasil: uma biografia, by Lilia M. Schwarcz and Heloisa M. Starling
Thank you.
We really appreciate the opportunity to learn a little more about you.
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