Ada Valaitis was born and raised in Chicago, IL, USA in a bilingual household in one of the largest Lithuanian diaspora communities in the world. She holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Literature from George Mason University. In 2007, she was awarded a Fulbright fellowship to Lithuania to study and translate Lithuanian literature.

“Early on, I think viewed literary translation as a way to further connect to my cultural heritage, as a Lithuanian born and living in the United States. Over time, I came to understand and accept that the process of translation is not in service of me or about me. It’s about the author, it’s about the literary work, and it’s about the honor and privilege of presenting literature to a wider audience.”

Valaitis’ translations have appeared in numerous collections and journals, including the Vilnius Review, Washington Square Review, The Dedalus Book of Lithuanian Literature, Transitions of Lithuanian Postmodernism: Lithuanian Literature in the Post-Soviet Period (Rodopi, 2011), and Lithuania on a First Date (2012).