By day, she helps run MLAC. By night, she translates bestsellers. Meet Tina O'Donnell.

What if the colleague helping you navigate your modules also happens to be an internationally published, award-winning literary translator? At Durham's School of Modern Languages and Cultures, that is exactly what happens. Meet Tina O'Donnell – or, as the literary world knows her, Tina Kover.

Every superhero has a secret identity. Some wear capes. Others work in university administration.

By day, Tina O'Donnell is a member of the Professional Services team at Durham University's School of Modern Languages and Cultures (MLAC), helping students and colleagues navigate the complexities of university life.

But beyond her day job, Tina has another remarkable career. Under her professional name, Tina Kover, she is an internationally published, prize-winning literary translator, bringing French-language fiction to English-speaking readers around the world.

And her latest achievements give us even more reason to celebrate.

Two books, one translator, one publication day

On 24 September 2026, not one but two of Tina's translations were published:

• These Blazing Suns, by Ivorian debut author Nincemon Fallé (Europa Editions), winner of the 2024 Prix Voix d'Afriques.

• The Bookshop of Forbidden Books, by internationally bestselling French author Marc Levy (Firefinch Publishing).

Two very different novels, united by the work of a translator whose role is to carry not just words, but voices, cultures and stories across linguistic boundaries.

For Tina, these publications are the latest milestones in an impressive literary career.

Her translation of Négar Djavadi's Disoriental won both the Albertine Prize and the Lambda Literary Award for Bisexual Fiction in 2019, having also been shortlisted for the National Book Award for Translated Literature and the PEN Translation Prize.

More recently, her translation of Anne Berest's The Postcard was named runner-up for the 2024 Dayton Literary Peace Prize, another significant recognition of her work in bringing international literature to English-speaking audiences.

From the bookshelf to the classroom

And here comes the part we particularly love.

Students on Durham's MA in Translation Studies (MATS) have had the opportunity to benefit directly from Tina's professional expertise through guest masterclasses in literary translation.

Drawing on her experience of working with authors, publishers and literary texts, Tina has offered students insights into the realities of professional translation, bringing the publishing world into conversation with their academic studies.

It is an opportunity to see translation not simply as an academic discipline, but as a living, creative profession.

After all, how often does the person helping you with the administrative side of your degree also have an impressive collection of published translations to their name?

Celebrating the talent behind MLAC

Tina's story is also a reminder that the expertise within a university extends well beyond its academic staff.

Our Professional Services colleagues bring an extraordinary range of experiences, interests and accomplishments to the School, enriching our community in ways that are not always immediately visible.

In Tina's case, those talents quite literally fill bookshelves.

So, next time you see her around MLAC, remember: you might be speaking to the person who can help you with your modules – or to the translator behind your next favourite novel.

And really, what other university can offer you that?

And if you'd like your copy of one of her translations signed, you know where to find her: the Teaching and Learning Hub in Elvet Riverside I! Just don't be surprised if she's busy helping someone with their modules. 😉

Discover Tina's translations

From Alexandre Dumas and George Sand to contemporary international bestsellers, explore Tina's extensive body of work and literary achievements.

Explore Tina Kover's full bibliography and career