[credit: Picasso]

This site is a collection of my writings, opinions, creations, and inspirations. Some complete tool stole my bag last year which contained some very precious notebooks, so I am now using this as a way to prevent future word pilfering.

Inspiration – The inspirations section is where I gather and store all the things that make me feel something worth feeling again sometime, mainly for writing prompts. If any of them act as any sort of inspiration for yourself too then that’s pretty dandy. And, by storing them here, they are less likely to end up in a ditch after being dumped by a thief who (unless they really were desperate for some tip top writing prompts) only wanted my £15 cash.

Writing – This section is pretty sparse. That’s because of the rule which states that you can’t send anything for publication in magazines/journals/toiletcubicles if it has already appeared in cyberspace. Therefore, the only work I can post on here is work that I don’t deem worthy enough of publication elsewhere, and work which I don’t have out for review with various writing outlets. So, welcome to my site of mediocre left-over writing dregs. Each post should come with a sticker which says ‘my other story is a bestseller’.

Anyway, rant over.

I am an experienced and qualified native English translator (Italian into English), with a BA (Hons) in Italian from the University of Bristol, and a Postgraduate Diploma in Translation Studies from the University of Manchester. My Erasmus year (2003) was spent at the well-known Scuola Superiore di Lingue Moderne per Interpreti e Traduttori, University of Bologna (Forlì), where I honed my translation skills and decided to pursue the study of translation at Postgraduate level.

Technical Writing/Translation:
I am a qualified Technical Author with over 5 years of experience writing and editing User Manuals and Documentation in the Semiconductor industry. I have a certificate in Technical Communication and a Diploma in Technical Authorship (both with distinction). I have also completed a course in STE – Simplified Technical English – so you can be confident that the target text will read well according to the industry standard, with more chance of being understood by people for whom English is not the first language.

Literary Translation/Creative Writing:
I am an experienced Literary Translator and Creative Writer. I have completed 2 modules in Creative Writing at the Open University, both gaining Distinctions. I have poetry and prose published in various magazines, and have written guest posts for well-known blogs. I worked as a ghost writer for Warlock Media and been a volunteer staff writer for Translators Without Borders. During my postgraduate study of Translation, I specialized in  in the translation of culturally-bound humour, crossing boundaries through literature, subtitling, and the translation of opera surtitles.

I have poetry published in The Seventh Quarry, Roundyhouse, Hysteria Anthology, and recently read one of my poems at the launch party of the The Emma Press Slow Things Anthology in London in July 2015. I was one of the judges of the Hysteria Women’s 2015 Writing competition. Other work appears in Chucktown Magazine and the ISTC newsletter, Info+. 

Travel Writing:
I am a regular freelance travel writer for Looking for Italy where I get to talk about how amazing Italy is. Here is an article about why you should shut your computer down and book a flight to Naples right now. I also document my own travels in this section.

 

Art and Craft

I am Art Director of The Open University Writing Society, which you can follow on twitter @ouwriteclub and on Instagram @writeclubou.

I am also an avid knitter and can’t stop making things. Head to my Instagram page @Sugar.Knits or my Etsy Store  SugarKnitsWales  to order direct.

Bookclub

I’m also founder of tipsy bookclub Reading Between the Wines and you read about how to start your own bookclub here.

Publishing

I am on the committee for Honno, a Welsh Women’s Press, and get to be involved in proofreading, helping decide books for publication, and represented them at Hay festival at the New Welsh Writing Awards, and Tenby Book Fair.

Qualifications

• BA (Hons) Open (English and Creative Writing), The Open University (2014-present)
• A363 Advanced Creative Writing, The Open University, Distinction (2015)
• Diploma in Technical/Commercial Authorship, Distinction (2012)
• Certificate in Technical Communication Techniques, Distinction (2011)
• PG Dip Translation Studies, University of Manchester (2006)
• BA (Hons) Italian, University of Bristol (2004)

Sample of Published Work:

• Spoonful of Sugar, published on Surviving in Italy blog.
• Y Gwdihw, published in Slow Things by The Emma Press. Buy your copy of the Anthology here.
• Homebird , shortlisted for the Retreat West Short Story competition 2014
• Testing Time, runner up in Hysteria Women’s Writing Competition 2014
• Please Do Not Feed The Animals, Chucktown Magazine
• Various Newsletter Columns, Translators Without Borders
• My Other Life, ISTC
• How did someone with an Arts background and no knowledge of electronics become a Technical Author in the Semiconductor industry? ISTC, Sept 2012
• Cutting the Ties, published in Seventh Quarry, Summer Issue 2012
• Dancing in the Sun,  Roundyhouse, June 2012

If you are interested in my freelance writing/proofreading/creative writing critiquing services, or you want me to knock you up a scarf, then please contact me using the following form.

Enjoy