I am a Dutch freelance translator who grew up in the Netherlands, where I studied Art and Culture Sciences at Erasmus University in Rotterdam. In 2001 I relocated to England, where I completed my second MA in Translation Theory and Practice at University College London. Subsequently, I lectured MA Translation students at London Metropolitan University. After a five-year change of scenery in Switzerland, where I taught Dutch language and culture at Basel University, I moved back to the UK in 2019. Together with my husband Dick, I now live in London, where I spend my weekends immersing myself into the local cultural scenes, whether this is by visiting galleries and museums, going to the theatre or exploring different parts of the city. I also enjoy running and at the same time listening to podcasts. For years I have been a ‘covert’ listener of The Archers, but Woman’s Hour, Best of Today, Desert Island Discs and the Dutch podcast Over taal gesproken all score high on my list of favourites.
Both in my profession as a translator and teacher, and also in my leisure time I am an advocate for Dutch language and culture. This is a direct result of my education, but also results from my hobbies and passions. For as long as I can remember I have been drawn to words. This probably started with my mum, who encouraged my siblings and me to look up any words we didn’t know and write them down in a notebook. This developed into a love for writing and a curiosity about words and eventually into a career. The step from writing to a career as a translator was consolidated with the MA Translation Studies at UCL. Even though I started out as a commercial translator I am transitioning to a literary translator. My first book translation in 2019 was one of the highlights of my newfound career. To sum it up: I am a translator, a proofreader and an editor, I teach students of all levels and abilities and in my leisure time I write columns and articles. I am a member of Toastmasters International and part of a panel of judges within the Anglo-Netherlands Society, who grant the ANS-Award to students of Dutch studies on an annual basis. You may understand from this all that safeguarding the Dutch language and culture is of paramount importance to me.
