ABOUT ME
I am a qualified translator (assessed by the Institute of Translation and Interpreting), born and raised in the UK but living in France (and occasionally elsewhere) for the past 25 years. I am currently based just outside Toulouse.
I hold two MAs: one for French-to-English literary translation (ITIRI / Université de Strasbourg) and one for Japanese-to-English translation (School of East Asian Studies / Sheffield University).
Since beginning as a professional translator in 2008 I have accumulated a wealth of experience. My primary focus is academic texts (research articles, conference papers, chapters of contributed volumes) in the humanities and narrative social sciences, but I also translate non-fiction books and luxury lifestyle magazines.
As for my language ability, as a long-term resident of France living in a Japanese-English home, I am constantly honing my skills.
WHAT I DO
I provide translation services from French and Japanese into English, particularly in the humanities and social sciences. I also edit and revise English texts by non-native speakers and get them shipshape for publication. I routinely work on complex, challenging texts and love transforming them into something that is enjoyable to read yet retains the same register.
Generally, I work directly with the authors, developing a close working relationship for each project. Each translation is a real labour of love, involving meticulous research and dedication to achieving the highest standards.
My second area of specialisation is luxury lifestyle magazines. These texts require a more relaxed, journalistic style of English and a healthy dose of creative flair. Topics include luxury travel, gastronomy, art, fashion and cultural and sporting events.
SERVICES I OFFER
TRANSLATION
Translation from French and Japanese into UK English, primarily of academic texts, but more widely of any editorial content where style is of the essence.
EDITING
Monolingual editing of texts written in English by non-native speakers. I can help get your text up to scratch for publishing in international journals or in book form. I will respect your voice and style while polishing your prose and ensuring your message is clear.
REVISION
Bilingual checking of an English translation against the original text, looking for potential errors and areas for improvement.
CONTINUING PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT
Continuing Professional Development (CPD) is an important part of my life as a professional translator. I regularly attend conferences and workshops to ensure my skills stay razor sharp. When the opportunity arises, I also enjoy pairing up with trusted colleagues on co-translations and having them proofread and edit my work. Lastly, as a member of various professional associations (ITI, MET, SFT), I endeavour to stay abreast of industry developments and uphold the highest standards.
I am currently a member of the following professional organisations (click on the institution’s name to see my member profile):
CLIENT FEEDBACK
In addition to my proven language skills, customers often comment on my attention to detail and ability to create translations that are easy to read, despite the challenging subject matter. Here are just a few of the comments I have received:
Karen is an extremely professional translator who delivers work of a very high quality. Publisher feedback (Brill, Routledge, Harrassowitz) has always had a word of praise for her work. Her questions and remarks have often improved defects in the original French. I sincerely recommend her and will continue to use her services.
Thank you for your really outstanding engagement and work!
Karen est une traductrice et relectrice expérimentée. Son efficacité et sa ponctualité sont remarquables. Mon expérience concerne une révision de textes en anglais académique, et une traduction en anglais d’un essai littéraire japonais [de la romancière Tawada Yōko], que Karen a effectuée en binôme. Tout était parfait.
Dear Karen, thank you very much for the tremendous amount of work you invested in my article and the great attention to detail. I find it difficult to imagine that anyone else would have read it so carefully and thoughtfully and at the same time made all the suggestions which you included in your comments. The text is definitely better now.
Mme Grimwade est une professionnelle extrêmement précise et sérieuse. Mes articles de recherche traitent de sujets précis, parfois sensibles, et ils nécessitent une attention extrême lors de la traduction. J’ai été extrêmement satisfait du résultat à chaque fois, car il correspondait exactement aux standards (élevés) exigés par mes partenaires américains ou japonais.