Filipe Batista - Translator for Casa Guilherme de Almeida, São Paulo, Brazil
Filipe was the successful candidate for a funded opportunity to Brazil where he translated the works of the Brazilian poet, essayist and translator Guilherme de Andrade e Almeida (1890 – 1969) from Portuguese to English. Filipe translated Guilherme’s final anthology, Margens (Margins) which is the first time, this anthology has even been accessible in the English language.
‘My main achievement whilst working for Casa, was the translations I was able to complete. I managed to complete 34 out of the 50 poems and everyone at Casa was delighted with the quality of my work. I did not know I was able to translate literature with the easiness with which I do; so the feedback I got on my work was nothing but positive and it really gave me a confidence boost in terms of my translating skills.‘
I also took part in translation lessons during my free time in Brazil; all arranged by Casa. The lessons helped a lot since we went over things like translating poetry and lyrics. I also got to meet fellow students with whom I would exchange ideas and possible translations.'
‘I was able to attend the yearly event: Transfusão. Transfusão is an event about translation, for professional translators and aspiring ones alike. Readings of renowned translations took place and things like lectures and seminars also. It was an unforgettable weekend, which I am glad I attended. Everyone I met at the event was extremely interested in translation, like myself, and I really enjoyed being able to debate translation and literature with people who have been in the business for a long time and are experts in their field.’
‘The main skill that I developed whilst at Casa Guilherme de Almeida, I would say was my time keeping and personal organisation. Because there was no structure to how I worked (other than the times I had to be at work), I really learnt to organise and prioritise my time with the different aspects of the job I have to do. It was a great way of developing my time management skills.’
Everyone gave me a lot of support and I could see that they were really happy to have me there and be able to share their love and admiration for the poet with me.
‘After going through the process of this internship I can definitely say I am much more confident in applying for others. Location no longer seems to constrict my choices. Before I was quite sceptical about how far and how long the internship was, however, after coming back from Brazil I feel much more adventurous and I have the sense that I could withstand an internship located pretty much anywhere.’
‘The whole experience was unforgettable, it really teaches the person taking part a lot of ‘life-lessons’ in a really short space of time. The professional aspect of the internship is really unique because Casa Guilherme de Almeida, is not a big organisation, and so I felt like the work I did there really mattered.'