I’m sooooo happy to announce my first translation. It’s taken over 8 months to get here. I started negotiating translation rights last year in May (2022). My goal was to have the first translation out by the end of 2022. But God had other plans. I went traveling to the Holy Land and then to see my brother in Barcelona, my mom had a fall and broke her wrist and all my plans changed monumentally after that. In July, I realized that the months were passing and there was no headway with the translations for any of the books even though there was some chatter about it. I realized I wasn’t really getting anywhere and decided to organize the translation team myself.
Translator for the Book
I started looking for a translator in late July and boy was it hard. There was so much to consider—first the language. I was shuffling between Portuguese and Spanish but because of the numbers, I was advised to go with Spanish first. A Spanish translator meant talking to different people and getting an idea of what and how they translated. I sent out various inquiries and then finally went to Reedsy.
I spoke to various translators, some who said they had never experienced grief in their lives and others who didn’t really believe in Jesus, and some who felt that Catholicism was dying. So I prayed and just sent out more inquiries. Things were just not moving. Until August. (When I look back now, it was just a month, but back then it felt like day after day of nothing happening. And I was so frustrated with the non-movement.)
Dollors Gallart shared the same vision I had. Being A Galician, she was someone who had written Christian work before and was keen on doing the book in neutral Spanish. Except she would take 4 months to do the work. As a creative, I totally understood and didn’t mind the time. We agreed to keep a very flexible deadline and it was only after translating the book in early January, that Dollors shared what her own journey of grief had been like and how this book had just crossed her path by destiny.
How God Works!
It’s so beautiful how God meets us in our broken places. Like my translator, people didn’t realize the need for the book until they were standing in the valley of grief. It humbles me that moments like this can change someone and my little seed of faith is producing fruit somewhere in someone. I’ve had random feedback from people who have read the book and found comfort. Chaplain Adele Gill had invited me on her podcast to discuss the book and during our conversation told me how she had given by book to her grieving friend who found it useful.
Release in February
This book will be out by 24th February. It is currently undergoing internal formatting and then it should be ready for release. It’s hard to do translations because you have to totally rely on a host of people to ensure the book is translated as is. However, as always I’m relying on God’s providence with this. I had never thought this would happen so soon but here we are.
My first book has now been translated into a foreign language. And I hope that many more will follow.
Les changed a lot about the cover, the shade, the font, and the calligraphy keeping in mind the Spanish reading market. Since Spanish is not my first, second, third, fourth, fifth, or sixth but rather seventh language, I ask that should you find any errors let me know so I can rectify them.
For now, this book goes out in Feb in memory of my dad, Paul Richard Fernandes who we miss so much and who I wish was here to see my small successes. (Miss you Dad!)
If you know someone who is grieving, share this book with them. Currently, I am listening to audio narrators and auditioning some of them. We should have a Spanish audiobook in a few months.
Until then, I’m grateful to God and for everyone who is part of the translation, especially my translator Dollors.