Translation

The most important thing I’ve learned in more than 20 years translating from Spanish, Catalan and French into English is that a translation is a piece of writing. Of course it must convey the original, but it must also read entirely naturally in the target language – in my case, English. Being a professional writer helps me achieve this, of course, but I’ve also spent many years perfecting the craft of translation.

A holder of the IoLET Diploma in Translation, I belong to four translation associations – the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) in the UK, the Association of Professional Translators and Interpreters in Catalonia (APTIC), the Spanish Translators' Association (ASETRAD) and Mediterranean Editors and Translators (MET). I’ve been to many translation conferences and I regularly attend training courses, in person and online.

I’ve also spoken at conferences on subjects including marketing and specialisation for translators and the process of translation itself, and I am a pioneer of the Revision Club movement, offering an easy, sociable way for translators to hone their craft. For many years I also wrote a popular blog on translation, now being turned into a book.