Paraguayan Guaraní translator Emilia Espínola has been selected to participate in a residency at the renowned Looren House of Translators in Switzerland during February 2025. This prestigious achievement highlights her commitment to the promotion and defense of the Guaraní language, the official language of Paraguay and a cultural symbol of the region.
Espínola, who recently published the Guaraní translation of Horacio Quiroga’s book “Cuentos de la selva” (Jungle Tales), will now take on a new challenge by working on the Guaraní adaptation of “Quarto de despejo – Diário de uma favelada” (A Slum Diary) by Brazilian author Carolina Maria de Jesus. This work, which documents life in the favelas of Brazil, is part of the project “South America: What are we translating?”, which aims to build cultural bridges and give voice to Latin American contexts through native languages.
Another of the major projects that Espínola will tackle during her residency is the translation of Johanna Spyri’s “Heidi” into Guaraní. This classic of Swiss children’s literature will thus reach young speakers of the native Paraguayan language, broadening their access to international works and enriching their cultural imagination.
The Looren House of Translators is a world-renowned space that promotes cultural and literary exchange. Emilia hopes to take advantage of this opportunity to interact with translators from different latitudes and broaden her vision of literary translation. Her return to Paraguay will be marked by activities such as workshops and talks, which will seek to raise awareness about the importance of indigenous languages in the preservation of cultural heritage.
The young translator, graduated from the Yvy Marãe’y Higher Technical Institute in San Lorenzo, reaffirms with this achievement her dedication to the revitalisation of Guaraní, highlighting it as a living language with projection in the international arena.
