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Meet our member Hazel Hayman!

Name: Hazel Hayman
Service(s) offered: Translation & Editing
Language combination(s): Spanish to English
Specialism(s): Medical
Location: Suffolk, East Anglia
Website: www.avellanatranslations.com         
Contact info: hazel@avellanatranslations.com

Could you tell us a bit about your professional background?

I always had a passion for both languages and medicine. When I left school I studied Spanish at university, however, after that I trained as a nurse. I worked in the NHS for around 10 years in various posts. In 2019, I couldn’t ignore my passion for languages anymore and I returned to translation. I worked as an interpreter at the Monaco Grand Prix, which was amazing, but I prefer working with the written rather than the spoken word. I then went on to take on some stand-alone projects and humanitarian work, before settling in pharmacovigilance, clinical trials and medical journal work.

What services do you provide and in what areas?

I offer medical translation and editing services from Spanish to English (all variants). My translation work is primarily with pharmacovigilance and clinical trials. I also peer-review edit and/or translate academic articles for publication. 

In addition, I have an interest in literary translation and academia, particularly in the areas of constrained translation and humour. This is an area I have been working on out of hours and is something I am looking to expand into in the future.

What makes you stand out?

My background as a nurse means I have experience and understanding that goes beyond solely linguistic knowledge of the subject. This, combined with my linguistic training, enables me to quality control documents more thoroughly and ensure attention to detail at all times. However, I am always mindful this is the client’s project and may be the culmination of many months of hard work. I understand this and respect the different skill sets each professional brings to a project.

When working in the medical sector confidentiality is crucial; I maintain many of the confidentiality practices I was taught whilst in the NHS to ensure no-one other than myself has access to my client’s data whilst it is in my care.

What do you like most about your job?

I love the problem-solving aspect of my job. Words across different languages don’t always map together equally, and sometimes it can be a challenge trying to find the right word. For example, at the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, new words were being generated and they also had to be re-created in the other language. For me, every word is like a piece of a jigsaw puzzle. Individually it may not mean much, but the right words, fitting together in the right way, have the ability to paint a powerful image.

What do you do when you’re not working?

I love being in the water! I spend much of my time kayaking, canoeing, paddleboarding and swimming. Lowestoft is a great place for this! (I recently built a paddlesports translation glossary too.) I also love sitting in a café on the seafront with a good book and a nice cup of coffee or three (latté for me please). If I’m not doing that, I’m probably going to be relaxing with my church family or spending time with my boyfriend.

What’s your favourite part of East Anglia?

I would say Lowestoft; it’s the place I have spent the most time in the region. I love the beaches, the broads, the café culture, and most of my family and friends are here. It’s where I’ve spent the last 15 years of my life. However, I’m spending increasing amounts of time in Stowmarket these days and I’m getting to explore other parts of the region. But Lowestoft definitely has a special place in my heart (plus it has the sea!).

itieastanglia

Meet our member Alanah Reynor!

Name: Alanah Reynor
Service(s) offered: Translation & Writing
Language combination(s): Dutch, French & Spanish to English
Specialism(s): Marketing & Business
Location: Namur, Belgium
Website: www.alanah-reynor.com         
Contact info: alanah@alanah-reynor.com

Could you tell us a bit about your professional background?

Between my Bachelor’s degree in Translation and Interpreting and my Master’s degree in Conference Interpreting, I spent three years in France teaching English and learning about my students’ varied disciplines. Once I completed my postgraduate, however, I decided it was time to finally do what I love: languages.

I started my translation business in 2018 in France, before moving to Belgium shortly afterwards. I’ve found that marketing and business play best to my strengths, because there’s always an element of creativity; in marketing it’s obvious but, in business, the creative touch you can add to communications is often more subtle.

What services do you provide and in what areas?

I love creating, so creative translation was definitely the way to go for me. I thrive when working on business and marketing texts that promote women’s health, sustainability, animal welfare and other topics that are important to me. A business should share its values and I help them speak from their heart.

I also offer writing services. My clients don’t always want the same content in each language, but prefer something fresh based on their notes, ideas or a combination of texts. Recently, I helped a client put together his business book through a blend of translation, writing and editing. 

What makes you stand out?

Thanks to my background (my mum is Belgian), I have in-depth knowledge of Belgium and its linguistic differences which can be very useful to my clients, many of whom are based in Belgium. This understanding helps me pick up on nuances and sensitivities and adapt the text for an English-speaking audience.

While my subject specialisations are fairly specific (although I like to test the waters of something new from time to time), I am flexible in my service offering. Whether translation, editing or writing, it often turns out that a mixture of services is what would suit my client best.

What do you like most about your job?

This is such a hard question, because there’s so much I love: the freedom to be creative, the variety of subjects, the relationships I have built with my clients, the community of translators around me, to name but a few. I have to admit though that accounting doesn’t make that list.

There’s also something immensely satisfying about hitting that send button after completing a complex project and, of course, receiving feedback. It’s not just feedback from the client that counts, but also from others who have read your work and enjoyed it.

What do you do when you’re not working?

I spend most of my time with my partner, our cocker spaniel and three rabbits. Being with them is my preferred way to unwind, although our rabbits (and the dog) have a naughty streak – many of my books feature nibble marks! I love reading. My favourite genre is historical fiction, but I also enjoy memoirs, non-fiction and romance on occasion.

At the weekend, you can often find me watering my houseplants, dabbling in some gardening or making granola. Throw in an afternoon of board games with friends and a long walk with our dog for a pretty perfect weekend.

What’s your favourite part of East Anglia?

This question makes me feel nostalgic, seeing as I don’t live there anymore. I used to call North Norfolk home. A few places stand out: Cromer where my dad used to have a second-hand bookshop and I worked on the pier; Felbrigg Hall where I used to go with my family for a picnic and long walks; and Heydon, its tea room and florist, which has become a ritual for my mum and I whenever I visit. But I also just miss the coast: the sea air, the sound of the waves, the wind in your hair… true bliss.