Robin Driver
Portuguese-English Translation
Hi!
I’m Robin, a translator working between Portuguese and English. With experience living in Portugal and Brazil, and a PhD in Portuguese Literature from the University of São Paulo, I bring subtle cultural insights and a keen eye for nuance to every project I’m involved in.
As a literary translator, I’m primarily interested in stories that open readers’ eyes to new perspectives and challenge their expectations, from contemporary classics yet to be discovered by English-speaking audiences, to work by exciting, up-and-coming authors and voices from underrepresented communities.
Alongside translation, I carry out academic research on contemporary Portuguese-language drama and women’s writing, and I collaborate actively with a number of research groups based in Brazil. I’m also available for editing, proofreading, readers reports and book reviews, so reach out and let me know how I can help.
News
‘Missão Quântica’, the Brazilian Portuguese version of the animated short, ‘Quantum Quest’, is now live on YouTube. I had a lot of fun translating this piece, which was produced by Irish studio Cassette Vision, based on characters developed by researchers from Trinity College Dublin in collaboration with charity Fighting Words. The film aims to explain some of the basic concepts of quantum physics to both kids and adults in an accessible and enjoyable way, and premiered at the Dingle Animation Festival in March.
02/04/26
Missão Quântica
It’s been a real pleasure to help organise the ‘II Encontros Ex-cêntricos: Ler Teatro’ event at the Federal University of Acre with colleagues from the ETEx - Estudos do Teatro Ex-cêntrico research group. The two-day conference, which is part of the ongoing ‘Ler Teatro e Reler o Teatro Brasileiro’ project, took place at the university’s campus in Cruzeiro do Sul, Acre, and featured talks, workshops and performances promoting drama studies. Further information about the event can be found, in Portuguese, on the ETEx website.
27/02/26
II Encontros Ex-cêntricos
I’m excited to announce that my project to translate Brazilian author Rafaela Tavares Kawasaki’s debut novel, Aquarium Fish (Peixes de aquário), has been awarded a PEN/Heim Translation Fund Grant by PEN America, which will provide invaluable financial support towards the completion of the translation. The book tells the story of the Fujikawa sisters, Japanese immigrants in the state of São Paulo, and deals with questions of memory and belonging in the context of the diaspora. Find out more about this important piece of Japanese-Brazilian fiction here.
02/12/25