The Translator: Elegant Dallas Woman Fluent in Five Languages Shares Her Skills in a New Book

When top international execs require a translator — or need to master Spanish in a pinch — they call elegant bibliophile Fabiana Elisa Martínez. A Buenos Aires native who now lives in Dallas, Martínez is fluent in five languages (her native Spanish plus English, French, Portuguese and Italian) and boasts degrees in linguistics, world literature, ancient Greek and Latin.

This month, she launches her first book, 12 Random Words, at Erin Cluley Gallery. As much a teaching tool as literature, the book showcases a dozen short stories in Spanish and in English, with editions in French, Portuguese and Italian slated for future publication. This is hardly your average textbook.

“12 Random Words tells stories of love and yearning,” says the book’s editor, Quin Mathews, who owns Dallas–based Quin Mathews Films. “Each portrait is a puzzle piece that reveals fragments of discovery, each one a treasure.”

The equally inventive cover was designed by illustrator Rob Wilson, who recently won acclaim for his cover design for the popular podcast turned book Welcome to Nightvale. After reading Martínez’s tales, Wilson had several words of his own to add to the 12: “Cinematic. International. Clever. Lyrical. Moving. Wondrous. And magical.”

Launch celebration Saturday, April 30, 6 to 8 p.m., at Erin Cluley Gallery, 414 Fabrication St., 214.760.1155.