Laura Glancey is a French to English translator specialising in clinical trials and marketing texts
Who are you? Please introduce yourself
I’m Laura Glancey, I translate from French to English (and very occasionally from Russian to English), with a sideline in proofreading. I live in beautiful North Devon with my husband and daughter. I’ve been translating for nearly nine years now; before that, I was a family manager (aka housewife and mum). My first career out of university was as an analyst/programmer – not the most obvious choice for a languages graduate!
Do you translate, interpret, or both? What are your areas of specialism?
I only translate. I cannot conceive of having the skills of an interpreter – they leave me in awe. I’m happiest in my office in the attic, in front of a screen. I’m a bit of a generalist in terms of specialism, as it’s mostly based on what comes my way from agencies, but the bulk of my work falls in two camps – clinical trial documentation (study budgets, ethics committee forms), and proofreading/checking marketing texts in a variety of domains.
Why did you decide to get into translation or interpreting?
When my eldest child started secondary school, I decided I needed to return to the work force. Looking around for options which would allow the flexibility to work around family commitments, I felt working for myself would be the best solution. I thought about what my strengths were, and returning to my first love of languages seemed the obvious answer, so I enrolled on a distance learning MA in Translation with the University of Bristol and never looked back.
What’s your favourite type of project?
I rather enjoy the website copy I proofread for hotel groups – it is always full of enticing details about the hotel and the area which make me want to visit everywhere!
What do you do outside of translation or interpreting?
I love dancing (tap is my preferred style, but I’ve just passed RAD Grade 6 ballet, which I still don’t quite believe I’ve done!). I always enjoy walking in the fabulous countryside where I live. We’ve got a motorhome, which takes us around the country visiting National Trust properties, and volunteering as stewards for Oxfam at music festivals.
