Katherine Capaldi is a translator from French, Spanish and Portuguese into English, specialising in retail, market research and academic research.
Who are you? Please introduce yourself
I’m Katherine, a freelance translator living in rural North Devon with my husband and our three daughters. I work from French, Spanish and Portuguese into English, and I’ve been freelancing for over 12 years now – mostly part-time, with a few pauses for maternity leave. I love being able to work from home and having the flexibility to fit my work around family life – though of course, that comes with its own challenges.
Do you translate, interpret, or both? What are your areas of specialism?
I’m very much a translator – I honestly can’t imagine my brain working fast enough for interpreting! I specialise in academic texts (especially in the social sciences), market research and retail. I prefer long projects I can really get into, and I love working with clients where I feel that we have a real partnership. This year has been a difficult one, as I feel that the longer translation projects have been tailing off and I’m increasingly being sent shorter texts, which I do find frustrating at times!
Why did you decide to get into translation or interpreting?
Like many translators, I’ve always loved languages and just never stopped studying them. I did French and Spanish at Durham, then joined a graduate scheme at a finance company looking to expand overseas. They promised excitement and travel – but the furthest I got was Swindon! After a few years, I realised I wasn’t using my languages at all, so I went to work for the Alliance Française in London. I used my French every day but still missed using it in a more academic way, so when I was about to get married, I retrained, doing a Master’s in Translation at UCL, graduating just before having my first daughter. For the first time, I felt like I’d found my vocation – a proper career rather than just a job
What’s your favourite type of project?
I really enjoy long-form academic work, as I find it satisfying to get stuck into a challenging text and come out the other side having learned something new. My favourite project ever was a series of texts I worked on a few years ago for the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, translating interviews with coca farmers in rural Colombia about the way their illicit work impacts their health and access to healthcare. The interview responses were in heavily colloquial Spanish, and I had to work closely with the university researchers who had conducted the interviews to decipher what was being said.
What do you do outside of translation or interpreting?
When I’m not working, you’ll usually find me exploring beautiful North Devon with my family. Life is a bit of a juggle – my husband and I also manage some holiday cottages alongside our work, so there never seem to be quite enough hours in the day. Making time for yourself is something we talk about a lot in the ITI Parent and Carer Network (I’m the Network Co-ordinator). I’m proud to be part of such a brilliant, supportive community that’s helped a lot of people feel less alone in the challenges of balancing work and care. No matter how busy things get, I always carve out Friday mornings for a sea swim with friends. It’s the one thing that keeps me grounded – and sane – week in, week out.
