Why did you become a translator?After coming back to England from Argentina I became involved in human rights issues, and began translating for Amnesty International and other organizations, and this led on to literary work.
You have won the Valle-Inclán Prize three times. What makes a good translation? All translation is based on creating an illusion, so a good translation is one that makes a text as convincing as possible in its new language.
Can translators still influence UK publishers on what to publish from foreign writers? Yes, translators increasingly act as (usually unpaid) scouts who first become aware of interesting new writers in foreign languages.
Which is the book from Spanish that has not been published yet in the UK, and it definitely should? Manuel Vazquez Montalbán, Erec y Enide.
What have you recently read in Spanish that surprised you positively? The Mexican author Juan Pablo Villalobos: “Te vendo un perro”.It's full of humour and surprises and very Mexican.
A bad translation can destroy a good book. Can a good translation improve a bad book? Definitely, because the translator is not only the closest reader of a text, but also often its first editor.
Which of your translations are you proudest of? The next one I have to do...because you always think that this time you will get everything just right, and it will be perfect. It never is, of course.
Can you recall a particularly difficult expression and how you resolved its translation? It is not so much expressions that are difficult, but trying to judge just what emotional weight and intention the writer is putting into each word, sentence, paragraph, etc.
Which book are you currently working on? I am completing a Cuban sci-fi trilogy that is taking me to new worlds, and trying to rescue another fantasy trilogy which the publisher has decided not to carry on with.