Bruna Dantas Lobato
Bruna Dantas Lobato | |
|---|---|
 Bruna Dantas Lobato in 2023 | |
| Born | c. 1991 Natal, Rio Grande do Norte, Brazil |
| Occupation |
|
| Education | |
| Notable awards | National Book Award |
| Website | |
| brunadantaslobato | |
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]
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
[edit]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
[edit]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
[edit]| 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
[edit]Fiction
[edit]- "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
[edit]- 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)
References
[edit]- 1 2 "The Words That Remain". National Book Foundation. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
- ↑ Harris, Elizabeth A.; Alter, Alexandra (2023-11-16). "Justin Torres, Author of 'Blackouts,' Wins National Book Award for Fiction". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
- 1 2 "PEN Translates winners announced". English Pen. 22 August 2023. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
- 1 2 "Announcing the 2023 PEN America Literary Awards Longlists". PEN America. 2023-01-20. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
- 1 2 "Our 2022 Longlist!". Republic of Consciousness Prize. January 24, 2023.
- 1 2 "2019 PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grants". PEN America. 2018-11-29. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
- ↑ "Blue Light Hours". Grove Atlantic. Retrieved 2025-04-24.
- ↑ McGee, Celia (2024-07-31). "They Translated the Books of Others. Now They're Writing Their Own". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2024-08-31.
- ↑ "Blue Light Hours". Kirkus Reviews. August 30, 2024.
- ↑ "Horas azuis - Bruna Dantas Lobato". Grupo Companhia das Letras. Archived from the original on May 12, 2025.
- ↑ "Walter Porto: Jeferson Tenório, de 'Avesso da Pele', lançará romance sobre o começo das cotas". Folha de S.Paulo (in Brazilian Portuguese). 2024-07-26. Retrieved 2025-01-14.
- ↑ Lobato, Bruna Dantas (2022-08-11). ""Snowstorm"". The New Yorker. ISSN 0028-792X. Retrieved 2025-04-24.
- ↑ Lobato, Bruna Dantas (2022-11-17). "Reunion". Guernica. Retrieved 2026-08-04.
- ↑ "No. 27". A Public Space. Retrieved 2026-08-04.
- ↑ Dantas Lobato, Bruna (2017-04-20). "Firsthand Account". The Common. Retrieved 2026-08-04.
- 1 2 Becker, Eric (2023-10-03). "The National Book Award Interviews: Bruna Dantas Lobato and Stênio Gardel". Words Without Borders. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
- ↑ Ng, Natalie (November 4, 2024). "Writers@Grinnell: Longing and belonging in Bruna Dantas Lobato's debut novel, 'Blue Light Hours'". The Scarlet & Black. Retrieved 2026-08-04.
- ↑ "Youth Ambassador Program". U.S. Embassy & Consulates in Brazil. Retrieved 2026-08-04.
- ↑ Alvarez, Luciana (2010-04-26). "Embaixada dos EUA lança projeto Jovens Embaixadores". Estadão (in Brazilian Portuguese). Retrieved 2023-11-23.
- ↑ U. S. Embassy Brasilia (2010-01-13), Primeira-Dama dos EUA Recebe Jovens Embaixadores Brasileiros / First Lady Michelle Obama Welcomes Brazilian, Flickr, retrieved 2023-11-23
- 1 2 "dantasbru". Grinnell College. Retrieved 2026-08-04.
- ↑ Akers, Camille (March 26, 2024). "'Read 100 Books. Write one.' A Spotlight on Visiting Faculty Bruna Dantas Lobato". The Bennington Lens. Retrieved 2026-08-04.
- ↑ "Bennington College Alum and Visiting Faculty Member Bruna Dantas Lobato '15 Wins 2023 National Book Award for Translation". Bennington College. 2023-11-17. Retrieved 2026-08-04.
- ↑ "'Building Something Together': Translators Discuss Their Art". The New York Times. 2023-06-28. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
- ↑ "Translators on the Art of Translating". KQED. 2023-10-16. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
- ↑ "Motherless Tongues, Multiple Belongings I". HowlRound Theatre Commons. Retrieved 2023-11-23.
- ↑ "Board of Directors". The American Literary Translators Association. Archived from the original on 2023-12-06.
- ↑ "The Words that Remain". Dublin Literary Award. 2024-01-16. Retrieved 2026-08-04.