Mayela Gerhardt

Mayela Gerhardt – Translator

Professional translator EN | ES | FR>DE with a deep love for books and a strong interest in different cultures and (fictional) realities

Overview

I am an experienced literary translator, passionate about my work, detail-oriented and reliable. With each book I translate from English, Spanish or French, I immerse myself fully in its setting, tone and characters to create a German version that is true to the original work. I have translated books by authors such as Priya Guns, Sandra Cisneros, Luis Sepúlveda, Gary Shteyngart, Janet MacLeod Trotter, Pilar Quintana, Kat Gordon, Eloísa Díaz, Diana Evans, Margo Lanagan, Karl Geary, Luiza Sauma, Laurent Binet, Josse Gaëlle and Joe Dunthorne for major German and Swiss publishers like Hoffmann & Campe, Kampa, Rowohlt and Aufbau Verlag.


My interest for different cultures, languages and literatures was kindled at an early age. I was brought up in Latin America and Germany and moved to Barcelona in 2014. Working from an international Coworking space, I am continuously keeping in touch with my mother tongue and the languages I translate from.


My field of expertise are both fiction and non-fiction, with a focus on novels and travel literature. I hold a Diploma in literary translation (equivalent to a Master's degree) from the University of Duesseldorf, have studied Modern English Literature at the University of Westminster in London, audiovisual translation at Trágora Professional School of Translating and Interpreting, Granada, as well as journalistic translation at ISTRAD (Instituto Superior de Estudios Lingüísticos y Traducción), Sevilla.


I am a member of the German Literary Translators' Association (VdÜ) and the Spanish Society of Modern Languages (SELM) and I regularly attend their seminars and webinars in order to stay up to date and to improve my skills in the field of creative translation.


Are you an author, an editor or a book publisher wishing to publish their book in German? I would be delighted to hear from you. You can rest assured that I will treat your book with great care and provide you with a translation that respects and represents the original work.

Services
Fiction
Contemporary Fiction Fantasy Historical Fiction LGBTQ Fiction Short Story Young Adult
Non-Fiction
Travel Writing & Publishing
Languages
English to German
Awards
  • Residency program for international writers and translators 2013 and 2016, Art Omi, International Arts Center, New York
  • Award / grant for my translation of Laurent Binet's novel HHhH, German Translators' Fund, Berlin, 2010
  • Georges-Arthur-Goldschmidt-Program, Grant by Frankfurt International Book Fair and BIEF (Bureau International de l'Édition Française) in Berlin, Paris and Arles, 2007
Certifications
  • Postgraduate course in journalistic translation, ISTRAD, Instituto Superior de Estudios Lingüísticos y Traducción, Sevilla, Spain
  • Course in audiovisual translation, Trágora Formación, Professional School of Translating and Interpreting, Granada, Spain
  • Diploma in Literary Translation, University of Duesseldorf, Germany
  • Intensive course in Modern English Literature, University of Westminster, London
  • Business French Diploma for Tourism, Catering and Hospitality by Paris Chamber of Commerce and Industry

Work experience

Self-employed

Mar, 2006 — Present

Creative translation and localization (English | Spanish | French to German): literature, journalistic texts, travel reports, audiovisual scripts, marketing collateral, website content and blogs.

Portfolio

Book Translation
Nevada in den 1950er Jahren: Die junge Lois reist von Chicago nach Reno mit der Aussicht, nach sechs Wochen als geschiedene Frau ein neues Leben zu beginnen, wie es das Gesetz hier erlaubt. Im... read more
Book Translation
Book Translation
Ein origineller, rasanter Debütroman einer aufregenden neuen Stimme.Damani kämpft. Jeden Tag kümmert sie sich um ihre Mutter, fährt die ältere Dame Mrs. Patrice zum Bingospielen, während sie i... read more
Book Translation
Luana

Sauma, Luiza

Book Translation
Kenia Valley

Gordon, Kat

Book Translation
Book Translation
1981

Eloísa Díaz

Buenos Aires 1981: Inspector Joaquín Alzada hat sich geschworen, auch in Zeiten der Militärdiktatur ein anständiger Mensch zu bleiben. Gemeinsam mit seiner Frau Paula führt er ein ruhiges Lebe... read more
Book Translation
Leute wie wir

Diana Evans

„Ich muss einfach jedem von diesem Buch erzählen – es ist so gut, dass es mir den Atem geraubt hat.“ Dolly Alderton Ein bittersüßer Roman über die Liebe und das moderne Familienleben unter den... read more
Book Translation
Book Translation
Book Translation
Hündin

Pilar Quintana

Die neue rasante Frauenstimme aus Südamerika – verstörend und bewegend In einem kleinen Dorf in Südamerika, zwischen Dschungel und Pazifischem Ozean, leben Reiche und Arme, Weiße und Schwarze ... read more
Book Translation
Book Translation
Ligas Welt

Margo Lanagan

Nach den erlittenen Grausamkeiten ihres Vaters und der jungen Männer aus der Stadt flüchtet sich Liga in eine Parallelwelt. Dort, in ihrem friedlichen Häuschen im Wald, zieht sie ihre beiden T... read more
Book Translation
Leute wie wir

Diana Evans

Book Translation
Ich, Oliver Tate

Dunthorne, Joe

Book Translation
Book Translation
Book Translation
Riviera Express

Josse, Gaëlle

Book Translation
Book Translation
Book Translation
Kleiner Versager

Shteyngart, Gary

Book Translation
Book Translation
Book Translation
Book Translation
Book Translation
Book Translation
Book Translation
Book Translation
Book Translation
Book Translation
Book Translation
Book Translation
Book Translation
Book Translation
Book Translation
Book Translation
Book Translation
Book Translation
Liebe Lucy

Sarkissian, Julie

Book Translation
Seeherzen

Lanagan, Margo

Book Translation

Mayela has 3 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Gaynor G.

Gaynor G.

Mar, 2022

Pinned
I have been extremely satisfied and happy working with Mayela on the translation of the first book of my children's series. The finished result looks impressive. She is dedicated, courteous, friendly and helpful. I appreciated the close collaboration we had over word interpretation and text presentation. Punctual with replies and eager to provide a professional service that excels, Mayela is ...
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Mayela G.
Thank you so much, Gaynor! It was a real pleasure translating the first volume of your beautiful children's series. I am pleased that you are happy with the result, and I look forward to having an...
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Janet M.

Janet M.

Oct, 2021

Pinned
Mayela was responsive and enthusiastic from the start. She showed a good grasp of what the project entailed, prepared well and met the various deadlines. She was not only thorough but showed a deep understanding of the novel and its nuances, especially as she needed to translate local dialect too. I found her responsible, supportive and a pleasure to work with and would definitely recommend he...
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Gaynor G.

Gaynor G.

Oct, 2022

At the conclusion of many months' collaboration on my series of children's stories, I would like to add that the whole experience of working with Mayela was stress-free and a great pleasure. Mayela's literary translations were meticulous and precise. Her in-depth perception, interpretation of my style, and expression of my ideas was exactly what I was looking for in a translator. She has enric...
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