As a high school pupil visiting the careers advisor, I was interested in modern languages but didn’t see myself as a teacher. What other jobs were there? “Well,” he said, “there’s translating and interpreting, but it’s a tough field to get into. Have you thought about town planning?”

Thirty years later, some of my best friends are planners, but here I am.

Experience

I have lived and worked in both France and the Netherlands where I passed the Certificaat Nederlands als Vreemde Taal [Certificate in Dutch for non-native speakers].

After starting out as an in-house translator I turned freelance in 1992.

Veterinary science is a special field: my husband is a partner in mixed practice in NE Scotland. Our official collaborations include acting as consultants on Roodbont Publishers’ “Signals” series of agricultural publications, including Cow Signals and Pig Signals.

Clients

Clients include the agriculture ministries in both the UK and the Netherlands (DEFRA and LNV), the UK Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Shell International, the International Criminal Court in The Hague, several UK universities and a small number of translation agencies and private individuals.

Published translations

Agricultural and animal husbandry translations from Dutch to English:
Roodbont
Translations include Piglets, Fertility, Udder Health and Weather & Crop Protection.

Management consultancy translations from Dutch to English:
DeHaan
Translations include Relational Coaching, Fearless Consulting, Coaching with Colleagues, Learning with Colleagues and the forthcoming
Supervision in Action.