Bonus Interview: Valeria Aliperta

Surprise, surprise! I know, International Translation Day ’13 was on Monday and our series of interviews is over but… I couldn’t resist posting one more (and maybe a last one sometime on Friday, hint hint…)! Valeria Aliperta gave me the honor of answering my questions. Valeria is the well-known founder of Rainy London Translations. An interpreter, a translator, a tutor, a conference speaker, and so many more, Valeria works from English, Spanish and French into Italian. She recently launched The Freelance Box, with fellow translator Marta Stelmaszak, through which they provide business courses for freelance translators.

Hello, Valeria, and thank you so much for your participation! Could you start by telling us a little bit about yourself?

Hi! As many probably already know, I was ‘born’ an interpreter and then diversified my offer – I became a translator, tutor, editor, VoiceOver artist and conference speaker. I run my own business – very Britannically called ‘Rainy London’ – and
even though from time to time I take on project management too, my combination is English, Spanish and French into Italian, my native language. Now I also run courses for translators, interpreters and freelancers under The Freelance Box (with colleague and friend M. Stelmaszak).

What makes you so passionate about languages and translation?

I remember that when I was 6 I wanted to be a journalist. I even got a much sought-after Olivetti typewriter for Xmas! I would draft the school journal and print it myself. I then started English at 11. That was it: since then, I had it very clear I was going to be an interpreter.
Languages open minds, open possibilities, open eyes. I love being that someone who, in the darkness, makes it possible for communication to flow amongst the great differences between peoples and cultures. After all, the best translator and interpreter is that who goes, so quintessentially so, unnoticed most of the time. Quoting my colleague and good friend Xosé (Castro Roig, @xosecastro) we ‘translate emotions’.

How do you usually celebrate International Translation Day? Is this day special to you or is it just like every other day?

I can’t say I celebrate in the classic way but I do love to dedicate the day to my many lovely colleagues – the messages and notes were so many! And it feels great to be part of an industry of peers. I’m lucky many of them truly are friends, too. I tend to do something or share an article on social media to involve/familiarise non-translators to what we do: we are so invisible sometimes, therefore in days like those it’s good to fly our own flag.

Which difficulties did you face when you established your freelance business? Do you still face those difficulties or have they transformed into other ones, as your business evolved ?

The difficulty was and always is finding opportunities (= clients). Unfortunately, this takes time and freelancers are known for either having too much or too little at their hands, right? I always say: never give up. If it’s meant to be, it’ll be. Just be patient. Then, of course there will be moments where the mountain seems too high, but don’t despair. The difficulties evolve but you do too, and you learn from experiences (bad and good alike). I personally suggest you plan, plan, plan. With a clear view of what we want to achieve, we can work towards it more efficiently. As for the challenges I face now, I still have to tackle the uncertainty of a freelancing job after all – so I recommend to never rely on one or two clients only. Try and diversify! For instance, I once used to do lots of transcription but I don’t anymore – the demand and the prices evolved and I adjusted too. If you find new ‘spin-offs’ for your business, you end up gaining.

On the other hand, our profession has great aspects. What’s your favorite and why?

I love being flexible. One of the words I abuse of is ‘boring’ . Because I like my life entertaining and challenging. That’s why I am delighted I’m not doing the same tasks all the time, and enjoy the variety that freelancing offers. I also love that thanks to social media, we are not alone anymore and being a people’s person, I love going to events and network – my main source of business really!

What do you think the future holds for us translators?

The future depends on us. Much talk about machines and the extinction of translation is going on now but I believe that the world is so big and varied that there’s always going to be a niche for everyone (provided quality is there, or course). Languages evolve and new needs arise… Just watch out for change and adapt accordingly 😉

Happy belated Translators’ Day and hurray for us!

Happy belated International Translation Day to you, Valeria! And thank you for taking the time to do this interview!

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