Edith Grossman was a literary translator best known for her work with the novels of great Spanish-language authors.
- Died: September 4, 2023 (Who else died on September 4?)
- Details of death: Died at her home in New York City of pancreatic cancer at the age of 87.
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Edith Grossman’s legacy
Grossman was notable for her insistence on the importance of the translator in the success of a translated work of literature. Traditionally, translators have not received prominent credit, receiving a mention in small print inside the book. Grossman advocated for her name to be printed on the book’s cover alongside the author’s, noting that translation requires substantial work and skill.
She was renowned for her English translations of the works of such authors as Gabriel García Márquez (1927–2014), Miguel de Cervantes (1547–1616), and Mario Vargas Llosa. Márquez had worked with her since she translated his acclaimed novel “Love in the Time of Cholera,” continuing to turn to her to provide English translations of his work. He was reported to have called Grossman “my voice in English.” Her translation of Cervantes’ “Don Quixote” was considered her masterpiece. Grossman was honored with such awards as the PEN/Ralph Manheim Medal for Translation, the Arts and Letters Award in Literature, and the Thornton Wilder Prize for translation.
Notable quote
“[A] translation is not made with tracing paper. It is an act of critical interpretation.” —from Grossman’s address at the 2003 PEN Tribute to Márquez
Tributes to Edith Grossman
Full obituary: The Washington Post
