About Me
General Information
I love working with words and I feel very lucky that I’ve been doing so for close to 30 years now.
In terms of my background, I have a BA in literature and creative writing from Bryn Mawr College (in the US), an MFA in creative writing from Queens University (also in the US), an MA in higher education pedagogy and practice from the University of East Anglia (in the UK), and a PhD in translation studies from Swansea University (also in the UK). Besides this, I’ve taken many other courses or certifications, as I’m always trying to learn more and to improve my skills.
After many years as an academic, nowadays I’m an honorary professor in literature and translation at the University of East Anglia and I also work as a freelance translator, writer, editor, consultant, and lecturer.
I’m passionate about language, and I think that even in this era of AI, texts still often require a human touch. I hope you might want to work with me, so I can provide that compassion, enthusiasm, and real-world knowledge that computer programmes just don’t have.
Writing
I have been writing poems and short stories and personal essays since I was a young child, and I absolutely adore playing with words.
As an adult, I have published hundreds of articles, essays, book reviews, restaurant reviews, interviews, and other texts in different publications in print and online.
My popular non-fiction books include We’re Here!: A Practical Guide to Becoming an LGBTQ+ Parent, The Road to IBCLC: The Unofficial Guide for Passing the Exam, Feeding Your Allergy Baby (co-written with Kaya Thorpe), Be Fruitful: the Jewish Pregnancy and Birth Guide, and Journey in Judaism: A Quest for the Curious in 72 Questions (due out later in 2026).
Some of my academic books are Translation Theory for Literary Translators, Translation and Genre, The Portrayal of Breastfeeding in Literature, Are the Kids All Right? The Representation of LGBTQ Characters in Children’s and Young Adult Literature, and Translating Expressive Language in Children’s Literature. I also edited and contributed to True North: Literary Translation in the Nordic Countries and Northern Lights: Translation in the Nordic Countries, and I co-edited Queer in Translation and International LGBTQ+ Literature for Children and Young Adults. Besides those books, I have published many academic articles and chapters.
I am also experienced at writing pieces on request and also at supporting other people to craft their own writing, so please get in touch if you would like to commission an article or book, or if you want guidance with your work.
Translation
I have worked as a translator since 2002. While I mostly translate from Swedish to English, I have also translated at times from Danish, Norwegian, and even Faroese to English, and very occasionally also from English or Danish to Swedish.
Over the years, I’ve gained experience in translating a range of texts, including menus and cookbooks, user’s manuals, annual reports, financial documents, scientific articles, poems, songs, short stories, novels, books on gardening and art, literary analyses, and much more. I’ve worked for individual customers, translation agencies, organisations, universities, literary agencies, and publishing companies.
In recent years, I have mostly focused on literary fiction and non-fiction. Some of the many books I’ve translated include Katja Bargum and Jenny Lucander’s The Book of Ant Records, Jenny Jägerfeld’s King Bro!, Lena Gunnarsson’s The Dynamics of Consent, The Summer of Diving by Sara Stridsberg with illustrations by Sara Lundberg, David Sundin’s The Book That Did Not Want to Be Read, Sara Lundberg’s The Bird in Me Flies (also published under the title of The Bird Within Me), and many more. Some of these works have gone on to be nominated for awards or to be honoured by prizes or placed on “best of” lists.
Other literary authors whose short stories or poems or novel excerpts I have translated include Mats Kempe, Kristina Sandberg, Edith Södergran, Moa Backe Åstot, Kerstin Norborg, Johan Jönson, and more. I enjoy carrying out sample translations or publishing shorter works in literary magazines.
I have also written many articles about translation and given dozens of academic and popular talks on the subject. Additionally, I enjoy holding workshops on translation at schools, libraries, or other community locations (knowing multiple languages is not necessary in order to attend such a workshop!).
I am a full member of the Swedish-English Literary Translators’ Association, Sveriges Facköversättarförening (Swedish Association of Professional Translators), and Översättarcentrum (Translators’ Centre).
Please get in touch with me to discuss your translation project.
Editing
I have been a professional editor since the mid-1990s. I have worked for many different publishing companies, publications, academics, organisations, literary agencies, universities, individuals, and others.
I primarily edit texts in English, but I do also work on Swedish texts, particularly Swedish translations of English works.
I love paying close attention to detail and polishing a text, whether that involves clarifying confusing phrases, ensuring the style is consistent, analysing the vocabulary choices, fixing punctuation, or anything else required.
I would happily discuss your article or book and any editing it needs.
Lecturing
I’m a very experienced teacher and lecturer. I taught regularly from 2002 forward and worked as a university lecturer in literature and translation between 2009 and 2023, where I specialised in children’s literature, comics and graphic novels, literary translation, and queer literature.
Beyond that, I’m an IBCLC (certified lactation consultant) and have expertise in pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding/chestfeeding, and the postpartum doula.
I’ve given keynotes, conference presentations, workshops, and seminars around the world, primarily on translation, writing, breastfeeding, culture, and literature. I’ve even done voiceover work related to this, which was great fun.
I have also frequently been interviewed on the radio, on podcasts, and on TV programmes about these topics and others.
I can happily design a lecture or seminar for your school, university, or organisation according to your needs, and I can provide quotes or interviews for the media. What people tend to appreciate about my teaching is the way I make complicated topics approachable and interesting, and I love the moment when I can tell from people’s expressions that they’ve really understood and engaged with a subject in a new way.
Consulting
I work as a consultant in several different ways. For example, I can provide guidance on writing texts, and I can carry out further research as needed. It might be that you’re producing a film or writing a book on one of my speciality subjects and you need additional information or to have someone review what you already have.
Also, since 2023, I have been consulting within the field of equality, diversity, and inclusion. I have carried out sensitivity reads, helped organisations with their policies, held workshops, appeared on podcasts, and more. My particular areas of expertise in EDI are LGBTQ+ topics, antisemitism, breastfeeding/chestfeeding, women’s issues including menopause, neurodiversity, and disability. I’d be glad to support your organisation with any of these or other EDI areas.