Quote by Valeria Luiselli: “Listening is a form of translation. You have to translate emotions.”

This insight suggests that truly understanding another person involves more than just hearing words. It requires actively interpreting their feelings and experiences, much like translating one language into another, demanding deep empathy and attention.

From an interview discussing her experience as a translator for child migrants, emphasizing the empathetic and interpretive work required to understand and convey their complex, often traumatic stories.

Mexican author and essayist whose work includes the novel-essay Tell Me How It Ends, about the experiences of child migrants at the US border. She has been shortlisted for the Booker International Prize and is a leading voice in contemporary Latin American literature.