Carolina Orloff

A Latin American Literature PhD graduate, Carolina is the co-founder of publishing house Charco Press.

Your time at the University

I'm originally from Argentina and studied at both York and Leeds universities before joining the University's School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures (LLC).

I chose to study in the Hispanic Studies department, now known as Spanish, Portuguese and Latin American Studies, on the strength of its staff and the quality of our research. I felt very lucky to be able to do my PhD in such a research-friendly environment. I was given total freedom and had use of as many resources as I wanted. Many students take that for granted, but I took it as a luxury. Being involved in other research projects and funding opportunities was very important too.

I feel I had the best possible experience when it comes to the people that taught and supervised me. My work was analysed in ways that were always constructive and conducive to my learning and growing as a researcher.

Edinburgh is the perfect city to study and live in. It has a highly-active cultural life all-year round. It is close to other important cultural centres and also to nature, if one needs to get away. It’s vibrant and quiet at the same time.

It inspires me to think that I can expose a reader or a student to an entire new universe that will make them understand the world in new ways.

Tell us about your experiences since leaving the University

Having completed my PhD in Latin American Literature, I remained in Edinburgh to co-found and direct Charco Press, an independent publishing company promoting new English language translations of outstanding contemporary Latin American literature.

Charco Press was born from a desire to do something a little out of the ordinary, a desire that I attribute to my time at LLC. It was thanks to my experience at there that I was inspired to create something radical that would have a direct impact on the material that students are exposed to when studying Latin American literature.

During my years of research, I was able to travel to attend and take part in conferences in the UK, Europe and Latin America. This enabled me, not only to share my research with other colleagues - which was vital - but also to bring back to Edinburgh the experiences of other researchers, which was instrumental in me thinking about new ways of approaching Latin American literature.

I am also proud that I was able to publish my thesis as a book in the UK ,and then translate it into Spanish to be published as a book in Argentina. Latin American literature is my passion. I want to do as much as I can from my position as a translator, editor and cultural bridge to promote it and disseminate it. It inspires me to think that I can expose a reader or a student to an entire new universe that will make them understand the world in new ways.

Alumni wisdom

With literature, it is important to allow yourself to be immersed in a different culture to make the most of the experience, to read and understand a text beyond the plot itself, to allow for the entire world it presents to open itself before us. If we do, we will be transporting ourselves to a different universe that will only enrich the vision of our own, allowing us to grow as students but also as people in general.

Related links

School of Literatures, Languages & Cultures

Charco Press (external link)