Translation Workshop: Elena Fortún & Carmen Martín Gaite

Elena Fortún (pen name of María de la Encarnación Gertrudis Jacoba Aragoneses y de Urquijo, 1886–1952) and Carmen Martín Gaite (1925–2000) are two major figures in 20th-century Spanish literature.

In this workshop, we will work with one text from each author. Although they write from very different perspectives, genres, and literary styles, both explore a common theme: the religious education of Spanish women during the first half of the 20th century.

"Quiero ser santa” (I Want to Be a Saint) is a chapter from Celia en el colegio (Celia at School), part of the children’s book series featuring Celia — a naïve girl whose rebelliousness lies in responding with common sense to the education she receives. The story offers a humorous reflection of the social realities of its time.

“En busca de cobijo” (In Search of Shelter) is taken from the award-winning essay Usos amorosos de la postguerra española (Love Customs in Postwar Spain) (1987), in which the author reflects on the life choices available to young women of the era: courtship and marriage, or entering a convent.