author
Alma Strettell
1853–1939
Known for bringing folk songs, tales, and poetry from many European languages into English, this British writer and translator opened a wide literary window for readers of her time. Her work moved easily between cultures, and she also published original poems in leading journals of the 1890s.
1 Audiobook
Legends from River & Mountain
by Carmen Sylva, Alma Strettell
About the author
Born Alma Gertrude Vansittart Strettell in 1853, she was a British poet and translator who spent part of her early life in Italy before settling in London in the 1870s. She built a reputation for translating poetry, songs, and stories from a remarkably wide range of languages, including Greek, Romanian, French, Provençal, German, and Norwegian.
Her translations and poems appeared in well-known literary venues, including The Yellow Book and Fortnightly Review. She also published books such as Spanish and Provençal Songs and translations of work by writers including Émile Verhaeren, helping English-language readers encounter voices they might otherwise never have found.
After her marriage in 1890, she was also known as Alma Gertrude Vansittart Harrison. She died in 1939, remembered as a gifted literary go-between whose work carried the sound and spirit of many traditions into English.