Frances Riddle (born in

Houston Houston (; ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in Texas, the Southern United States#Major cities, most populous city in the Southern United States, the List of United States cities by population, fourth-most pop ...

) is an American-born literary translator, specializing in the translation of contemporary

Latin American literature Latin American literature consists of the oral and written literature of Latin America in several languages, particularly in Spanish, Portuguese, and the indigenous languages of the Americas. It rose to particular prominence globally during t ...

into English. She has a BA in

Spanish Language and Literature Spanish literature generally refers to literature (Spanish poetry, prose, and drama) written in the Spanish language within the territory that presently constitutes the Kingdom of Spain. Its development coincides and frequently intersects with ...

from

Louisiana State University Louisiana State University (officially Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical College, commonly referred to as LSU) is a public land-grant research university in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The university was founded in 1860 near ...

and an MA in Translation Studies from the

University of Buenos Aires The University of Buenos Aires ( es, Universidad de Buenos Aires, UBA) is a public research university in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Established in 1821, it is the premier institution of higher learning in the country and one of the most prestigi ...

. To date, she has translated more than a dozen novels for leading translation houses such as

New Directions Publishing New Directions Publishing Corp. is an independent book publishing company that was founded in 1936 by James Laughlin and incorporated in 1964. Its offices are located at 80 Eighth Avenue in New York City. History New Directions was born in 19 ...

Dalkey Archive Press Dalkey Archive Press is an American publisher of fiction, poetry, foreign translations and literary criticism specializing in the publication or republication of lesser-known, often avant-garde works. The company has offices in Funks Grove, Il ...

and Charco Press. Originally from Houston, Texas, she lives in

Buenos Aires Buenos Aires ( or ; ), officially the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires ( es, link=no, Ciudad Autónoma de Buenos Aires), is the Capital city, capital and primate city of Argentina. The city is located on the western shore of the Río de la Plata ...

, Argentina. In April 2022, Riddle's translation of

Claudia Piñeiro Claudia Piñeiro (born 1960) is an Argentine novelist and screenwriter, best known for her crime and mystery novels, most of which became best sellers in Argentina. She was born in Burzaco, Buenos Aires province. She has won numerous literary pri ...

's novel ''Elena Knows'' was shortlisted for the

International Booker Prize The International Booker Prize (formerly known as the Man Booker International Prize) is an international literary award hosted in the United Kingdom. The introduction of the International Prize to complement the Man Booker Prize was announce ...

Selected translations

* ''A Simple Story: The Last Malambo'' by

Leila Guerriero Leila Guerriero (born 17 February 1967) is an Argentine journalist and writer. Career Leila Guerriero graduated from the Colegio Nacional Normal Superior de Junín. She is of Syrian Christian and German descent. She studied tourism, a field in wh ...

* ''Slum Virgin'' by

Gabriela Cabezón Cámara Gabriela Cabezón Cámara (born 1968) is an Argentine writer. She was born in San Isidro, Buenos Aires, and studied at the University of Buenos Aires. She is best known for her debut novel ''La Virgen Cabeza'' which was translated into English b ...

* ''Bodies of Summer'' by

Martín Felipe Castagnet Martín Felipe Castagnet is an Argentine writer. He was born in La Plata on May 31, 1986. He obtained a PhD in literature from the National University of La Plata. He is an editor of the bilingual journal ''The Buenos Aires Review''. His first nov ...

* ''The German Room'' by

Carla Maliandi Carla Maliandi is an Argentine writer and theatre director. Career Maliandi's first novel ''The German Room'' was published to widespread acclaim and has been translated into English, French and German. She is also active on the Buenos Aires ...

* ''The Abandoned House'' by

Mario Levrero Jorge Mario Varlotta Levrero (23 January 1940 - 30 August 2004), better known as Mario Levrero, was a Uruguayan author. He authored nearly 20 novels as well as writing articles, columns, comic books and crosswords. His work is said to be influence ...

* ''The Life and Deaths of Ethel Jurado'' by Gregorio Casamayor * ''Cockfight'' by María Fernanda Ampuero * ''Not One Less'' by María Pía López * ''Plebian Prose'' by Néstor Perlongher * ''Theatre of War'' by

Andrea Jeftanovic Andrea Jeftanovic (born October 15, 1970, in Santiago de Chile) is a Chilean author, sociologist and academic. Jeftanovic was three when the September 11, 1973 Chilean military coup took place. She grew up under Augusto Pinochet's military regim ...

* ''Elena Knows'' by

* ''Violeta'' by

Isabel Allende Isabel Angélica Allende Llona (; born in Lima, 2 August 1942) is a Chilean writer. Allende, whose works sometimes contain aspects of the genre magical realism, is known for novels such as ''The House of the Spirits'' (''La casa de los espír ...

References

21st-century translators Argentine translators Living people Spanish–English translators University of Buenos Aires alumni Year of birth missing (living people) {{Argentina-translator-stub