Francisco Torres Oliver

Francisco Torres Oliver (born Villajoyosa, Alicante (Spain), June 21, 1935) is one of the most important Spanish translators. He studied "Filosofía y letras", in the branch of Philosophy, at the Universidad Complutense, Madrid.

He specializes in English fantastic literature. Along with the scholar Rafael Llopis, he is one of the main proponents of macabre and mystery literature in Spain. Regarding the macabre, he has stated that "it is the young people who have greater curiosity". Torres Oliver has also translated numerous texts of history, philosophy, and anthropology into Spanish.

He has translated, among others, the following authors: Charles Dickens, D. H. Lawrence, Daniel Defoe, H. P. Lovecraft, James Hogg, Jane Austen, Lewis Carroll, Thomas Hardy, Thomas Malory, Arthur Machen, M. R. James and Vladimir Nabokov. He has also translated some French works.

In 1991 he received the ''Premio nacional de traducción de literatura infantil y juvenil,'' for the book "Los perros de la Morrigan" (''The Hounds of the Morrigan'') (Editorial Siruela), by the Irish author Pat O'Shea. Later, in 2001, he won the ''Premio Nacional a la Obra de un Traductor'' of Spain, in recognition of all his professional work.

Concerning the current state of translation in Spain, Torres Oliver recognizes that the task of the translator has changed in recent years; nevertheless, he believes that translators are "still underpaid."

Torres Oliver is also a painter. Provided by Wikipedia