A Woman Unknown: Voices from a Spanish Life
Graves's first book and memoir, offering the clearest introduction to her life, cultural background, and central themes.
Author guide
Lucia Graves Books in Order
Lucia Graves (born 1943) is an English writer and literary translator. Raised in Mallorca, she writes about cultural identity, memory, Spain, and the experience of living between English, Spanish, and Catalan. Her authored books comprise the memoir A Woman Unknown: Voices from a Spanish Life and the historical novel The Memory House. She has also translated works by Carlos Ruiz Zafón, Robert Graves, Anaïs Nin, Katherine Mansfield, and other writers, and edited Robert Graves: Complete Short Stories.
memoirhistorical fictionliterary fiction
Catalog record updated .
Not sure where to begin?
Start with one of these
The Memory House
An alternative starting point for readers who prefer historical fiction; it is Graves's first novel.
Outside the series
Bibliography by category
Novels (1)
- The Memory House
novel · 1999
Nonfiction (1)
- A Woman Unknown: Voices from a Spanish Life
memoir · 1999
Frequently asked questions about Lucia Graves
Who is Lucia Graves, and what is she known for?
Lucia Graves is an English writer, memoirist, editor, and literary translator. She is particularly known for translating Spanish literature into English and for writing about life between England and Spain.
Sources: luciagraves.wordpress.com (opens in a new tab)penguinrandomhouse.com (opens in a new tab)
Is Lucia Graves related to the poet Robert Graves?
Yes. Lucia Graves is the daughter of the poet and novelist Robert Graves.
Sources: the-independent.com (opens in a new tab)luciagraves.wordpress.com (opens in a new tab)
Where did Lucia Graves grow up, and how did that background influence her work?
Born in Devon in 1943, she grew up in postwar Mallorca after her family moved there when she was three. Her experience of moving between English and Spanish cultural worlds became a central influence on her memoiristic and translation work.
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How did Lucia Graves build her career as a literary translator?
Her professional translation career began in 1971 with a Spanish translation of her father’s novel Seven Days in New Crete. She went on to translate works between English, Spanish, and Catalan, including Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s The Shadow of the Wind.
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Did Lucia Graves win any major literary awards?
Yes. She won the 2013 World Fantasy Award for Special Award—Professional for her translation of Carlos Ruiz Zafón’s The Prisoner of Heaven.