This essay describes the Italian reception of Nicole Malinconi, a renowned writer in her native country of Belgium, but struggling to find her audience in Italy. Malinconi, who is well-known only within a small academic circle in Italy, was translated very late and only in a partial way, by two enthusiastic translators who tried to make her known to their compatriots, by including two of her short-stories in an anthology (2005) and by translating her most famous book, Hôpital silence (2008). Both translators were fully aware of proposing a novelty in the Italian publishing market, their personal perspectives are apparent from the detailed peritexts, in which they speak openly about the project. The translators’ competence and their thorough knowledge of the author and her context are reflected in a textual approach that respects the sober and often fragmentary style of the originals. This essay will try to shed some light on the reasons why, despite their qualities, these two translations have not succeeded in making Malinconi more popular or in generating a greater interest in her works, which are still largely unknown in Italy.