Hi, welcome to my website. I’m Christine, a woman of many talents, who speaks English, French and Spanish. I am outgoing and incredibly inquisitive. I have survived cancer and have a very positive – some would say – bouncy approach to life. I love reading and writing and I also paint. I have three sons – spread across Europe – and one granddaughter.
I am a literary translator of poetry, plays and novels. I write my own poems. I recently came second in a short story competition. I have written several novels and am working on a children’s book at the moment. You can find out more about the sort of works I translate and write when you go to my Literary page!
My commercial work also spans Europe. Over the years I have worked as an interpreter in France with assignments ranging from the Tour de France to world skiing and ice skating competitions, and from business meetings to mayoral speeches. Back home in England I have interpreted for private businesses, government offices and visiting French delegations. As for commercial translations, I have translated a wide range of categories including sport, business, government, tourism, medical and general. If you need a translator from French or Spanish into English or an interpreter I may well be your solution – find out more on my Commercial page.
Cherchez-vous une traductrice? ¿Está buscando una traductora?
My academic pursuits have been a rather winding road stretching across Europe, studying in France and Spain, doing a PhD on Alain Bosquet, a French homme de lettres, at the University of Exeter, and most recently lecturing at the University of Bath in interpreting and translation, with a brief spell as European Course Director. I have presented at numerous international conferences and you can discover which by opening my Academic page.
Do come and explore my world – there is a bit of something for everyone, from the business requiring an interpreter or the translation of documents, to the poet and novelist looking for a good read or a translation, whilst not forgetting the academic interested in XX century French literature and Alain Bosquet.
I AM BACK FROM NEPAL!
So much has happened in the intervening months that it seems a lifetime ago that I wrote my last update for this site. I have been to Nepal, returned to England for a few weeks and now I am in Spain for the birth of my first grandson.
Nepal was an experience that I will never forget and one that I will repeat again, but next time I’ll leave out some of the not so nice moments. The weather in Nepal in January and February is bitterly cold at night and in the mornings until the sun warms up the land. Houses do not have heating and it is as cold inside as outside the house so coats and hats are worn to eat supper and breakfast! Yet, when the sun shines it does so in a clear azure sky reflecting dazzling light off the Himalayas.
Nepal is an extremely poor country with so many problems – lack of power for most of the day (approximately 1 hour of electricity during the day when I was there. I only went to bed once not by torchlight), lack of fuel (people queue four hours or more in the hope of being able to buy the astronomically expensive diesel for their cars and motorbikes), lack of bottled gas (I saw people lining streets with empty bottles at their feet hoping to buy a full one to be able to cook meals for their families), lack of jobs (most people cannot find work).
Yet, the people are kind and welcoming. I volunteered at the Glory English Secondary School in Bhaktapur and received such a warm welcome from happy schoolchildren who loved being at school. I met a dedicated team of teachers who make the most of the few resources they have and give these children an education. Here an education is the path to a better life. Teaching is mainly in English and pupils see English as the language of opportunity and hope. The Principal, Hari Krishna Neupane, is full of energy and enthusiasm; encouraging pupils by example. I will be supporting this school in the future because I was so impressed by the joyful atmosphere. Not to mention how much they liked my Blanca Bonita stories and puppets!
I did a yoga and meditation course on a mountainside in the outskirts of Kathmandu at the Himalayan International Yoga Academy and Research Centre. It was peaceful and the staff members were great. The resident chef, Arun Kanta Neupane, cooked the most delicious dishes made from fresh home grown ingredients. The therapist, whose name sounded like Sharanti, gave great treatments –she had wonderful hands. It was a shame I was the only guest.
My Nepali host family – Hari, Yashoda, Elina, Anjal and granddad Sapkota, were caring and welcoming. I had many problems when I first arrived and if it had not been for this family with their generous hearts I would have felt so alone and abandoned. So I am thanking them here for all their kindness and for all the fun we had chatting on the sun drenched roof terrace or huddled round the evening fire in the garden.
Hari was my guide for my final week when I went sightseeing. I rode an elephant called Maya, in Chitwan National Park – the highlight of my trip and the realisation of a long-held dream. I climbed my own personal mountain in pouring rain at Sarangkot near Pokhara in the hope of seeing the sun rise on the Annapurna range. I didn’t but I conquered trekking up a mountain without my stick and the euphoria of making it will stay with me forever – as will the image of me dressed like a pea in a pod descending the mountain in a pea green bin-liner!
Thank you Nepal.
My Toronto DOUBLE book launch in November was a great success. It was a joy to be amongst such talented and welcoming people. I’d like to thank Michael Mirolla, Connie McParland and Laura Carter for arranging it. I have already been invited to do several readings here in the UK from the play “Smile, you’re getting old!” (by Evelyne Wilwerth). My hand puppet of Mr Loverat went down a storm in Toronto and he is hoping for the same success with the ladies here in the UK! If you would like me to do a reading or performance or you would like to stage a performance of the play yourself, please do contact me.
http://www.guernicaeditions.com/title.php?id=9781550713473
I have also done readings from “We come from the same light” (by Danielle Fournier). Unfortunately, Danielle was unable to make the Toronto reading but I’m sure we will be able to do a joint reading in the future. http://www.guernicaeditions.com/title.php?id=9781550713527
My other translations are proceeding well and I have more projects in the pipeline with Guernica. These are exciting times.
All the best,
Christine
