Meet the Translator

Welcome back to the Meet the Translator podcast (revamped!) with your host, Dot Roberts. This time, I've popped up to the Lake District to visit my good pal and translator colleague, Marjolein Thickett.

Here's a lowdown of our chat:

• Work events and translation conferences
• Choosing our colleagues as freelancers
• Chickens and dogs - freelance translators with pets
• Advertising and marketing ideas
• Working parent guilt

Marjolein (who I lovingly refer to as Maya) and I have been friends since 2021, when we connected on LinkedIn and hit it off immediately. Since then, we've coworked together, attended events and conferences together, hosted business retreats together, and she even attended my wedding. We've been there through each other's highs and lows, and supported one another throughout. We also love a good chat.

So, I drove up to the Lake District to visit my good friend, and we had a good catch-up and chat about the translation industry. Maya had just returned from the London Snow Show with Protect Our Winters, so she tells me about all the fun she had there, and we go down a bit of a rabbit hole on trains. We chat about our experiences at translation conferences, and the importance of networking and having a bunch of supportive colleagues. There's a bit of an interlude to catch up with Maya's chickens, and we talk about the practicalities of having pets as freelancers who work from home.

On my drive up, I noticed I was being advertised to from several directions, so we delve into the topic of marketing as freelance translators, and come up with some new advertising ideas that we've not seen translators utilise before. Since we're both working mums, we also touch on our experiences and the guilt that comes with wearing so many hats.

And we end with a new addition to the podcast, a language-guessing game! Join in and let me know how you do.

Useful resources:

• Marjolein Thickett on LinkedIn
• Marjolein Thickett on Instagram
• Meet the Translator on TikTok
• Meet the Translator on Instagram
• Get in touch via email: [email protected]

Special thanks to Marjolein Thickett for joining me on this episode, Eva Katernberg for sending in a recording for the game, Christopher Drew for editing this episode, and Pippa Williams for the podcast jingles.

We are switching things up on the Meet the Translator podcast! This is a little intro episode where I talk about what's changing and why, and how I want you to get more involved. It's all very exciting!!

Following on from the previous episode, this one's about being working parents as freelance translators. Valentina Alia and Paula Plazas join me for a chat about our work-life situations, the challenges we face, our expectations for the future, and more.

If you wish to get in touch with today's guests, you can message Valentina on LinkedIn, and send Paula an email, or follow her on Instagram.

Special thanks to Valentina and Paula for joining me, to Chris Drew for editing the episode, and to Pippa Williams for making the podcast jingles. If you have any questions or comments about the Meet the Translator podcast, send an email to [email protected].

The Meet the Translator podcast is back after a short break while I was on maternity leave. And, fittingly, that’s the topic of this episode.

Philippa Hammond and Alanah Reynor join me for a chat about parental leave as freelance translators. We share our experiences, discuss the challenges and advantages of being freelance, and share some tips on preparing for parental leave.

Special thanks to Alanah and Philippa for joining me, to Chris Drew for editing this episode, and to Pippa Williams for making the podcast jingles.

If you have any questions or comments about the Meet the Translator podcast in general, send an email to [email protected].

Welcome back to the Meet the Translator podcast! ✨

In this episode, I'm joined by translator and copywriter Bex Elder to find out all about how she diversified into copywriting. She discusses how this new service transformed her business and shares the skills required for copywriting, as well as how to develop them. Bex also gives us plenty of tips and resource recommendations.

If you want to get in touch or find out more, head to Bex's website here or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Resources mentioned:

• ProCopywriters
• CopyHackers
• Copy Cues Club
• Harry Dry's marketing examples newsletter

Special thanks to Bex for joining me on this episode and to Pippa Williams for making the podcast jingle and editing the episode.

If you have any questions or comments about the Meet the Translator podcast in general, send an email to [email protected].

Welcome to another Meet the Translator podcast episode! ✨

This time, I'm joined by multilingual voiceover actor, Leonie Schliesing. Discover what her job entails, how she got into it, and what her studio setup looks like. With three different languages and some awesome projects under her belt, Leonie has lots of fascinating insights to share about the voiceover industry.

If you want to get in touch or find out more, check out Leonie's website here, follow her on Instagram, or connect with her on LinkedIn.

I want to give special thanks to Leonie for joining me on this episode and to Pippa Williams for making the podcast jingle and editing this episode.

If you have any questions or comments about the Meet the Translator podcast in general, please email [email protected].

Welcome back to the Meet the Translator podcast! ✨

Join me for an episode on the highly-requested topic of inclusive language in translation along with Alicja Tokarska and Aurélie Gobet, two incredible translators who specialise in inclusive-language translation.

Find out what we mean by inclusive language, why it's so important, and what it looks like in English, Polish, and French. We discuss translation challenges and client communications, and my guests share some valuable advice on the topic.

If you want to contact Alicja, dm her on Instagram, connect with her on LinkedIn, or email her at [email protected]. To contact Aurélie, connect with them on LinkedIn.

Resources mentioned in this episode:

• Grammaire du français inclusif, Alpheratz, Éditions Vent Solars, 2018
• Le langage inclusif : pourquoi, comment : petit précis historique et pratique, Éliane Viennot, Éditions iXe, 2018
• Le français est à nous, petit manuel d’émancipation linguistique, Maria Candéa et Laelia Véron, La Découverte, 2019
• Non, le masculin ne l’emporte pas sur le féminin, Éliane Viennot, Éditions iXe, 2014
• L’écriture inclusive, et si on s’y mettait, Raphaël Haddad, Alicia Birr, Heather Burnett, Emilia Capitaine, Le Robert, 2023
• Orientations pour un langage inclusif en français des Nations Unies
• Guide de grammaire neutre et inclusive
• Karen Yin's Conscious Style Guide book and newsletter
• Pronouns.page

Thank you to Aurélie and Alicja for joining me on this episode and to Pippa Williams for making the podcast jingle and editing this episode.

If you have any questions or comments about the Meet the Translator podcast in general, please send an email to [email protected].

Welcome back to the Meet the Translator podcast! ✨

I'm joined by YouTube sensation Adrian Probst and LinkedInfluencer star Kelsey Frick for an episode all about being a content creator in the translation industry.

Listen along to find out what Kelsey and Adrian do, where they find their inspiration, and how being a content creator benefits their freelance business.

If you want more from my content creator guests, connect with Kelsey on LinkedIn, follow her on Instagram or TikTok,  or check out her website. Feel free to message Adrian on LinkedIn or check out his YouTube channel.

Thank you to Kelsey and Adrian for joining me on this episode and to Pippa Williams for making the podcast jingle and editing this episode.

If you have any questions or comments about the Meet the Translator podcast in general, please send an email to [email protected].

In this episode of the Meet the Translator podcast, I'm joined by Roberto Van Eyken, a translator who has had the unique opportunity to translate his own grandfather's literature.

Listen along to find out about Roberto's path into translation and what it's like to translate something with such a personal and emotional aspect to it. We chat about the two books Roberto has translated so far, The Slope of Memory and The Woman Who Escaped from Sodom -  both originally written in Portuguese by José Geraldo Vieira.

If you'd like to get in touch with Roberto or you have any more questions for him, you can email him at [email protected] and if you're interested in reading Roberto's English translations, they're available to purchase online - you can buy The Slope of Memory here and The Woman Who Escaped from Sodom here.

Thank you to Roberto for joining me on this episode, to Kirion Press for sponsoring this episode, and to Pippa Williams for making the podcast jingle and editing this episode.

If you have any questions or comments about the Meet the Translator podcast in general, please send an email to [email protected].

This episode is sponsored by Kirion Press.

Welcome back to the Meet the Translator podcast and happy 2024!

In this episode, I'm joined by JC Penet, lecturer in translation studies and author of the upcoming textbook Working as a Professional Translator. Join me to find out all about JC's background and work, and what's included in his upcoming textbook and why. JC also shares some valuable advice for aspiring translators.

Working as a Professional Translator will be available from 25th April 2024 via the Routledge website.

If you want to get in touch with JC and/or have any more questions for him, you can find his university profile here or email him at [email protected].

Thank you to JC for joining me on this episode, and to Pippa Williams for making the podcast jingles and editing this episode.