TESTIMONIALS






If I had to be betrayed, since words don't convert but instead turn into others, I always trusted that Diane would be an honest traitor -- and would betray me with tremendous talent.                 
                                 - Eliane Brum, author of The Collector of Leftover Souls
                            Long-listed for the 2019 National Book Award for Translated Literature               
                                            (Excerpted from Acknowledgements)
When Diane translated my book, I learned much from her about the elegance and exactitude of the English language. Her rigorous, tireless, and skillful work greatly enhanced the final text. During the course of our work, I found her to be conscientious, prompt, and committed. All of these qualities make her a truly exceptional professional.
- Dr. Regina Horta Duarte, author of
Activist Biology: The National Museum, Politics, and Nation Building in Brazil
Finally, I record here my sincere thanks to Diane Grosklaus Whitty, skilled and dedicated translator, for whom perfection is an obsessively pursued goal.
- Dr. Laura de Mello e Souza, author of The Devil and the Land of the Holy Cross
(excerpted from “Preface to the English edition”)
It has been my great pleasure to follow Diane Grosklaus Whitty’s career path as a translator for many years now. As a writer and university professor, I can state that her high-quality work contributes to strengthening the cultural and scientific ties between English- and Portuguese-speaking countries.
- Moacyr Scliar, author of over twenty books and
member of the Brazilian Academy of Letters
In my opinion and that of many other Brazilian intellectuals, Diane is the best translator of Portuguese into English. Diligent, reliable, skilled!
- Dr. Vanilda Paiva, Federal University of Rio de Janeiro (UFRJ)
 I've noticed you choose the words as I choose the notes when I write an arrangement, very carefully.
- David Ganc, Brazilian jazz saxophonist and flautist
Diane has proven herself an outstanding professional, both competent in undertaking assigned tasks and personable to work with. I was particularly impressed with her translation of the difficult text Uma Idéia Toda Azul, a collection of short stories written by Marina Colasanti. This translation demanded a sensitive understanding of the syntactic and semantic nuances of the Portuguese language. During her long residency in Brazil, Diane has acquired not only fluency in Portuguese but also a deep familiarity with Brazilian culture.
- Dr. Affonso Romano de Sant’Anna, writer and poet
Please say you can take this translation job for me. You are like Romário in Brazil. Nobody can replace you. Otherwise, I'll have to find someone else and...you know what that means. We lose the World Cup!
- Sergio Goldenberg, filmmaker
Diane is the translator every writer dreams of. In pursuit of the perfect translation, diligent, curious, and meticulous, she gets deep into the spirit of the texts she works with. On top of this, she is such a talented writer that I have to recognize that sometimes her translation is better then the original text. Working with her is a pleasure.
- Ilko Minev, author and businessman
Simply put, Diane subverts the Italian saying “traduttore, traditore” (translator, traitor). My initial trepidation about having a very complex and nuanced article translated to another language was transformed into immense satisfaction once I had the English text in hand and could begin the process of revising and fine-tuning. Diane’s fluency in Portuguese and deep understanding of the language, not to mention her mastery of her own native tongue, allow her to capture countless subtleties and hence preserve the spirit of the text. On top of this, her sense of humor makes partnering with her an extremely pleasant, fun, and—above all—productive experience. The good news and bad news are the same: the translation of the article is done with!
- Lilian Krakowski Chazan, author of
Meio Quilo de Gente: um estudo antropológico sobre ultra-som obstétrico
Thank you for being so responsive and so thorough with your translations. I’ve never had such pleasure working with a translator before. Never has anyone pointed out conflicts, repetitions, or any of the things you have. On top of it all, your translations are easy to read and very concise. It gives me such ‘peace’ to work with you, knowing that you do such an exceptional job.
- KeleMarie Lyons, President, Pinnacle XL
From the standpoint of management, the most valuable of the many skills Diane brings to the table are her reliability and her willingness to work with the client to pinpoint the precise meaning of what is to be translated. I’ve seen terrible translations result precisely from the failure to communicate with the client.
- Ricardo Brandão, electrical engineer, formerly Planning and Control Coordinator with the Rio Flood Reconstruction and Prevention Project and the Guanabara Bay Pollution Abatement Program
Diane is an excellent professional and excellent person, a rare combination which leads me to hope to always have her nearby. When I say an excellent professional I mean keeping to deadlines, getting into the spirit of all ‘things’ delivered to her, and displaying an authentic curiosity to get to know a text well before considering the job finished. Last but not least, she is a talented writer; without this skill, she would never be able to translate someone else's words so well, preserving the quality of the text when it is good, or improving on it when it falls short.
- Dr. Jaime Benchimol, former science editor,
História, Ciências, Saúde - Manguinhos, Oswaldo Cruz Foundation
After a lot of trouble finding translators for my books, I started working with Diane. The quality of her work was not only recognized by my editor, Shambhala Publications—her sensitivity and careful attention to each word and expression was what I had been after for a long time. My books are complex, and I am totally at ease entrusting them to her, knowing that we will resolve any questions together later.
- Rabbi Nilton Bonder, author of Our Immoral Soul, among other titles
I have always admired Diane's conscientiousness, sense of responsibility, and high level of professionalism. I have recommended her to many colleagues in the areas of political science, sociology, anthropology, and economics, and they have all unanimously approved the high quality of her work. I would also stress Diane's thorough familiarity with the Portuguese language and profound understanding of Brazilian culture.
- Dr. Elisa Reis, professor of Political Sociology at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and
member of the Brazilian Academy of Sciences
Whenever I hired Diane, I knew two things for sure: the deadline would be met and the quality would meet my needs and expectations. She goes the extra mile, calling up a client to say: “Look, this sentence is ambiguous in Portuguese; could you clarify it for me?” She’s really committed to the final results.
Fani Knoploch, journalist, formerly with the Communications Department at the Petrobras oil company