Maurizia Balmelli (born 1970) is a Swiss-born literary translator, currently residing in Paris. She has translated a number of notable works from English and French into Italian, including works by

Sally Rooney Sally Rooney (born 20 February 1991) is an Irish author and screenwriter. She has published four novels: ''Conversations with Friends'' (2017), ''Normal People'' (2018), ''Beautiful World, Where Are You'' (2021), and ''Intermezzo (novel), Interm ...

Aleksandar Hemon Aleksandar Hemon ( sr-Cyrl, Александар Xeмoн; born September 9, 1964) is a Bosnian- American author, essayist, critic, television writer, and screenwriter. He is best known for the novels '' Nowhere Man'' (2002) and '' The Lazarus P ...

Martin Amis Sir Martin Louis Amis (25 August 1949 – 19 May 2023) was an English novelist, essayist, memoirist, screenwriter and critic. He is best known for his novels ''Money'' (1984) and '' London Fields'' (1989). He received the James Tait Black Mem ...

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J. M. G. Le Clézio Jean-Marie Gustave Le Clézio (; 13 April 1940), usually identified as J. M. G. Le Clézio, of French, Mauritian, and British nationality, is a writer and professor. The author of over forty works, he was awarded the 1963 Prix Renaudot for his n ...

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, and others. She has won several awards for her translations, including the Swiss Special Prize for Translation, the Gregor von Rezzori Prize and the Terra Nova Prize.

Biography

Balmelli was born in

Locarno Locarno (; ; Ticinese dialect, Ticinese: ; formerly in ) is a southern Switzerland, Swiss List of towns in Switzerland, town and Municipalities of Switzerland, municipality in the district Locarno (district), Locarno (of which it is the capita ...

, Switzerland, in 1970, and grew up on Lake Maggiore, in Switzerland. She currently lives in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, France. She initially studied theatre, at the École Internationale de Théâtre Jacques Lecoq in Paris, and later at the Holden School in Turin, where she now teaches an annual French translation workshop.

Career

Balmelli has translated works by several notable authors from French and English into Italian, including

Wallace Stegner Wallace Earle Stegner (February 18, 1909 – April 13, 1993) was an American novelist, writer, environmentalist, and historian. He was often called "The Dean of Western Writers". He won the Pulitzer Prize in 1972 and the U.S. National Book Award ...

Miriam Toews Miriam Toews (; born 1964) is a Canadian writer and author of nine books, including '' A Complicated Kindness'' (2004), '' All My Puny Sorrows'' (2014), and '' Women Talking'' (2018). She has won a number of literary prizes including the Governo ...

, J.M.G. Le Clézio,

, Agota Kristof,

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Noëlle Revaz Noëlle Revaz (born 1968) is a Swiss author, who writes in French. She is best known for her first novel, ''Rapport aux bêtes'' (tr: ''With the Animals''), which won several literary awards, including the Schiller Prize, the :fr:Prix Marguerite A ...

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, and

Fred Vargas Fred Vargas is the pseudonym of Frédérique Audoin-Rouzeau (born 7 June 1957), a French historian, archaeologist and novelist. As a historian and archeologist, she is known for her work on the Black Death. Her crime fiction ''policiers'' (pol ...

. In 2022, she was awarded the Swiss Federal Office of Culture's Special Prize for Translation, and was cited as "one of the most significant translators from French and English to Italian," and commended for building "...bridges between different literatures, dedicating a constant, precious commitment to teaching and training." Her translations have been published by several notable Italian publishers, including

Arnoldo Mondadori Editore Arnoldo Mondadori Editore () is the biggest publishing company in Italy. History The company was founded in 1907 in Ostiglia by 18-year-old Arnoldo Mondadori who began his publishing career with the publication of the magazine ''Luce!''. In ...

Adelphi Edizioni Adelphi Edizioni is a publishing house based in Milan, Italy that specializes in works of fiction, philosophy, science and classics translated into Italian. History Adelphi Edizioni S.p.A. was founded in 1962 by Luciano Foà, Roberto Bazlen, Al ...

, and Marcos y Marcos. Her recent translations of Sally Rooney's books, ''

Normal People ''Normal People'' is a 2018 novel by the Irish author Sally Rooney. ''Normal People'' is Rooney's second novel, published after '' Conversations with Friends'' (2017). It was first published by Faber & Faber on 30 August 2018. The book became a ...

'' and ''Beautiful World'', ''Where Are You'', received critical appreciation in the Italian press. She has translated over 80 books into Italian over the course of her career.

Awards

* (2010) Gregor von Rezzori Prize for translating

's ''

Suttree ''Suttree'' is a semi-autobiographical novel by Cormac McCarthy, published in 1979. Set in Knoxville, Tennessee, over a four-year period starting in 1950, the novel follows Cornelius Suttree, who has repudiated his former life of privilege to be ...

'' from English to Italian * (2014) The Schiller Foundation's Terra Nova Prize for translating

's ''Heart of the Beast'' from French to Italian * (2022) Swiss Federal Office of Culture's Special Prize for Translation

Bibliography

{{DEFAULTSORT:Balmelli, Maurizia Living people 1970 births 21st-century Swiss writers Swiss translators 21st-century translators People from Locarno