SORAIA MARTINS
hello@soraia-martins.com
Joana Mota Capitão Jewellery
Another Collective
V—A Studio
327 creative studio
Level I — 2025
Multilingual Prose Workshop —2021 Bristol Translates
Literary Translation Summer School — 2021
Crafting an Effective Writer - Tools of the Trade — Coursera — 2018
University of Aveiro — 2008
Languages and Specialised Translation
In 2012, I co-founded a company focused on content marketing & writing, communications, social media management, translation, etc.
I left in 2018 looking for something more and landed as a freelance translator & writer. Since then, I’ve had the opportunity to collaborate with countless clients across design, lifestyle, architecture, travel, food, and more.
PELTA Member ∎ Portuguese-English Literary Translation Association
© SORAIA MARTINS 2026
Writing + Translation + Proofreading
Interview for UTIL Journal
Photos (c) Matilde Travassos
The apartment opens slowly. Light enters first, filtered through pale curtains and moving across oak floors, unveiling an interplay of shadows that feels intentional. Outside, Lisbon hums in the distance; inside, the atmosphere settles somewhere quieter. Objects have been carefully chosen: a sculptural lamp, a piece of wood worn by touch, a home that doesn’t rush and even asks you to linger a bit more.
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Interview for UTIL Journal
Photos (c) Matilde Travassos
Her ever-expanding mind drives us along her many stories, of all the places she’s been, each one its own particular journey. Lisbon has steadily become the ground where this rhythm is (still) taking shape: once a series of disjointed streets, now a city mapped through her own narratives. In her home, as in her practice, words, gestures, and materials collide like overlapping memories; a personal archive of papers, words, myriad objects with very intentional meanings.
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Interview for UTIL Journal
Photos (c) Manuel Amaral Netto
We stopped by Bráulio’s studio, a small but packed space tucked into a quiet New York building, to catch up with him. The walls are covered in posters and prints. In the corner, a guillotine stands next to a head-shaped bin. Every surface carries a trace of past and future work. For a couple of hours, we talked about how it all began, how he works, and how a tattoo of a snail keeps him grounded.
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Interview for UTIL Journal
Photos (c) Manuel Amaral Netto
Rooted in form and colour, their work blends hands-on craft with a strong sense of play, drawing from everything from anime and architecture to personal obsessions with sumo, tea, and intergalactic oddities. Whether working from their studio in New York or travelling through Tokyo, Wade and Leta blur the lines between life and practice, and they wouldn’t have it any other way.
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DROP IN for UTIL Journal
Photos (c) Manuel Amaral Netto
Walk down a quiet stretch of Bushwick, and you might miss it. A clean, sunlit storefront tucked between bodegas and artist studios. Step inside, though, and you’re hit with the hum of risograph printers, the smell of ink and paper, and the buzz of creative energy: this is Secret Riso Club.
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Farta #4
A project by Another Collective and Rafael Tonon
www.farta.pt
Interview for UTIL Journal
Photos (c) Manuel Amaral Netto
But his home isn’t for browsing. This is where he keeps the pieces he can’t let go of: the odd, the sculptural, the sentimental. And it goes both ways, as what inspires him at home often makes its way back into the shop. Over tea and the most amazing bagels (and under the watchful eye of his beloved pets), we chatted about how his personal design eye has evolved, what he looks for when he’s sourcing for Lichen, and what fuels him to keep going.
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Get-together with our designers for UTIL Journal
Photos (c) Manuel Amaral Netto
CPRV is an industrial design studio founded in 2020 by Camille Paillard and Romain Voulet. Operating between London and Marseille, the studio focuses on creating products, lighting, furniture, and interior spaces—what they describe as all things to live with. Drawing from their diverse backgrounds in design, Camille and Romain collaborate to produce work that balances materiality, simplicity, and usefulness. We spoke with them about the origins of their studio, their design philosophy, and their collaborative process.
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Interview for UTIL Journal
Photos (c) Manuel Amaral Netto
There’s a surfboard in Louis Meeus’ apartment that looks like it belongs in an art gallery—a swoopy Flexspoon shaped by Fantastic Acid, a reimagining of George Greenough’s iconic 1970s design that he absolutely does not surf. Not his one, at least. “I like objects that make me smile,” he says, pointing to a ruler on the knife rack, a tip he picked from a chef friend in Brussels, his hometown. There’s a logic to it, apparently, but Louis just liked the idea.
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Interview for UTIL Journal
Photos (c) Matilde Travassos
We first met Birgit Sfat, a photographer and creative consultant, at our showroom, where a quick chat turned into the kind of exchange you want to continue. So, we did—this time over coffee in her Lisbon home, a place packed with charm and personal history. As we settled in her patio, she shared how her home came to be, how her life and work shape the way she sees a space, and the stories behind the objects that tie everything together.
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Story for YUZU Magazine about Silent Living
Photos (c) courtesy of Silent Living
Stepping into the stone-clad entrance of Santa Clara 1728, its grandeur astounds me. The moon-shaped lamp by designer Davide Groppi hangs above a sprawling sofa, and a mighty staircase invites us to explore. This 18th-century building in the heart of the Santa Clara quarter in Lisbon hides an impressive guest house, where historic legacy and architectural elegance intertwine. The owner is João Rodrigues, a pilot by trade and hospitality devotee by heart, who decided to transform family-owned houses into places where guests can disconnect and be one with nature — and themselves.
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Echoes of the Land: Winemakers of Portugal
A book by photographer and journalist Vivian Bibliowicz
Design by Blok Design
Echoes of the Land: Winemakers of Portugal emerges as a true portrait of Portugal through those who dedicate their lives to wine. Chronicling nearly 100 winemakers, the book tells the unique stories embedded in this diverse landscape – from historic wineries to small-scale producers in lesser-known terroirs, to innovative projects and cooperatives that sustain local economies. Echoes of the Land is more than a book about wine; it is an exploration of identity, tradition and passion. It is a discovery of the stories and the relentless spirit of the winemakers shaping this land.
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Story for AGOBAY
Photos (c) Matilde Travassos
As the morning sun casts a glow across Lisbon, our eyes take in the unfathomable walls of lush foliage encircling the Gulbenkian Garden. We are standing at the northern entrance, between the São Sebastião and Praça de Espanha neighbourhoods, at the heart of Portugal’s bustling capital. Though removed from the heavily touristic districts, it remains surrounded by a patchwork of residential blocks, shops and cultural landmarks. Once a key gateway into the city during the 18th century, this area now forms a vibrant crossroads of daily life.
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Farta #3
A project by Another Collective and Rafael Tonon
www.farta.pt
Story for AGOBAY
Photos (c) Matilde Travassos
As the first rays of the morning sun gently edge above the horizon, a hush of spring envelops the landscape surrounding L’AND Vineyards, which has been a member of the Relais & Châteaux Association since 2023. The air carries the faint aroma of earth and grapes, promising days filled with discovery. As we traverse the winding path leading to the main building, the 15 acres of organic vineyards stretch out before us as though they were a patchwork quilt, their lush greenery swaying in the gentle breeze.
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Farta #2
A project by Another Collective and Rafael Tonon
www.farta.pt
Story for AGOBAY
Photos (c) Matilde Travassos
It is a soft morning with a brisk, invigorating breeze as we follow a picturesque, earthy road between green fields and scattered cork trees leading to our secluded destination. The countryside envelops us as we reach the elegant grey main gate and make our way into the property, having driven for just over one hour from Lisbon. We are greeted by the first slope of the uneven terrain – a topographical pattern the owners created to respect the existing land. We have arrived at Pa.te.os, a collection of four houses embedded in the Melides landscape, a refuge to unwind and take in nature in its most wholesome form. We breathe in the purest air of pine and cork trees, a distinctive fragrance that evokes a feeling of nostalgia and a glowing sense of warmth.
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Story for AGOBAY
Photos (c) Matilde Travassos
It is a beautiful, sun-drenched morning in Leça da Palmeira, a seaside town on the northern edge of Porto, and excitement rises as we make our way along the sprawling promenade that stretches over the shoreline. A mere 25 minutes from Porto city centre, we swiftly arrive at what would become one of the most wonderful locations we have been to. What many decades ago was only boulder formations and the mighty ocean roaring up the coast now lies the restaurant Casa de Chá da Boa Nova, a former tea house named after the pocket-sized Boa Nova beach where it was built. Since then, it has become an outstanding example of architecture in all its timeless grandeur, tucked dramatically into the rocky outcrops that make up the seashore.
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88-98 / Inês Gonçalves
XYZ Books
Photographs: Inês Gonçalves
Concept: Federico Clavarino and Inês Gonçalves
Editing and Sequencing: Inês Gonçalves, Tiago Casanova and Pedro Guimarães
Conversation: Inês Gonçalves and Pedro Guimarães
Text Editing and Translation: Soraia Martins
Design: Joana Durães
Prepress: Pedro Guimarães
Production: Tiago Casanova, Pedro Guimarães and Giacomo Alberico
Printing: Gráfica Maiadouro
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Story for FARE Magazine #11
Photos (c) Liz Seabrook
Joana Astolfi takes a bit of Lisbon with her every time she steps out of her house. The artist and architect in her have yet to make peace with the new, featureless buildings that have been erected in the last few decades. Her heart belongs to an older, more charismatic Lisbon — one you can still grasp in the neighbourhoods she often visits. From old shops to cosmopolitan cafés, Joana leaves her mark wherever she passes through. Of all the different designs she has contributed to the city, her own space is among the most intriguing.
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Story for Openhouse Magazine #18
Photos (c) Sanda Vuckovic
As I walk through the towering gates of Palácio do Grilo, the majestic vastness of rusty pink walls punctuated by a myriad of windows and doors might give me a sense of what I’m about to discover. Yet the room for surprise expands with each step. Located at the corner of Rua do Grilo and Calçada dos Duques de Lafões, in the Beato neighborhood, the palace gained new life thanks to Julien Labrousse. This French native switched Paris for Lisbon to get his creative hands on one of the city’s most stunning and mysterious 18th-century buildings.
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Beard and Ginger take on the world
Two stories for Wrong Journal #1
Published by Ricardo Galésio
Wrong Journal is a biannual independent travel magazine about people and places. It is about places as seen through the people that live in them. They tell us their secrets, welcome us into their homes, take us for a stroll. Each story adds new strands to our own life story, and the people we meet become part of our world. That’s what journeys do: they add new dimensions to our world, causing it to grow. And our constant restlessness pushes us out into the unknown, with no safety net, helping us to expand and fly. Enjoy the journey.
Nature Back to Design
A book curated by Rita Trindade
Published by New Heroes & Pioneers
This first volume of Through Objects showcases a selection of 24 design objects ranging from furniture and lighting to textiles and home accessories. Each of the stories reveals captivating items from pioneering designers and creators, such as Nienke Hoogvliet, Kaja Solgaard Dahl, Studio David Pompa and GT2P. By highlighting the potential and beauty of natural materials, this book proposes a look at the future of design from a respectful and harmonious human/nature perspective.
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Story for Perfect Strangers #1
Photos (c) Matilde Travassos
When it comes to co-working spaces, London and Lisbon are quite the dynamic duo — with not one but two thriving British-Portuguese collaborative ventures, each with their own distinct twist. Second Home’s signature look is bright and airy, teeming with potted plants and modern architectural curves. Its London branches are nestled in diverse pockets of the city’s urban fabric, whilst its Lisbon counterpart overlooks the Tagus River.