My family planted the seeds for my lifelong love of words at an early age. My nan would play word games with me, inevitably throwing in French words to challenge me.

And we traveled. By my teen years, my parents had taken us to three continents. In each new country, my sisters and I eagerly learned useful words and phrases.

Looking back, it’s clear that language was the passion destined to drive my future. While my early dream of writing novels seemed distant, I pursued my love of traveling and discovering other cultures by moving to Italy to teach English as a foreign language.

Italy became home for twelve years. During that time, I mastered the language, learned authentic Italian cooking, and even won a national karate championship. I also took on the role I’m most proud of—being a mum.

I began translating for local agencies, initially cycling to pick up printed texts, completing translations on a word processor at my kitchen table, and cycling back for delivery. It was in one of these local translation agencies where I first heard the word “Internet.” As my language skills advanced, I began providing interpreting services as well.

During a months-long interpreting assignment at a power plant, I met the man who would become my husband and who would bring me and my daughter to the United States. The move opened new chapters in both my translation career and my writing aspirations.

In the mid-2000s, I committed to perfecting my translation skills by enrolling at City, University of London. In 2006, I earned the Chartered Institute of Linguists Diploma in Translation, establishing myself as a certified professional in the field.

Throughout my career as a freelance Italian-to-English translator, I’ve translated over ten million words across multiple formats and fields of expertise. I’ve provided extensive editing and proofreading services and completed numerous US>UK localization projects. I’ve become proficient in CAT tools, especially SDL Trados, and I regularly travel to Italy to refresh my language skills.

Simultaneously, I pursued my passion for creative writing. My experiences living between cultures informed my storytelling, resulting in award-winning historical fiction novels including From Ashes to Song, a WCoNA Book of the Year Award nominee, and The Things We’ll Never Have, an Eric Hoffer Book Award finalist. My literary work, like my translations, bridges cultural divides and brings Italian influences to English-speaking audiences.

My dual careers complement each other beautifully. My translation work grounds me in linguistic precision, while my creative writing enhances my ability to capture nuance and tone. Both fields require cultural sensitivity, meticulous attention to detail, and a deep love of language.

While AI-driven changes in the translation industry present new challenges, I’ve embraced these developments by becoming a certified MT editor and exploring how technology can enhance rather than replace human expertise.

Technology has evolved tremendously throughout my career, but what remains constant is my curiosity and love for language. I look forward to continuing this dual path—transforming Italian texts into polished English translations while creating original stories that bridge cultures and celebrate our shared humanity.