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I was trained as a screenwriter at the University of Iowa, where I majored in Communication Studies with a specialization in Broadcasting and Film. Since 1988, I have been working as a freelance writer and translator of fiction, editorials, interviews, manuals, website content, theses, non-fiction books, song lyrics and children’s books.



I am a writer with an acute sense of the layeredness of each word and each sentence. A good text or translation always needs to contain the right balance between profundity and levity, between surprise and recognition. Both my expertise and my passion lie in finding that balance.


I am also a very versatile writer and translator. I am adept at adjusting the language and “tone” of a text to the expectations of its target audience, even as at other moments I know just how to play with a text’s style and terminology in ways that will surprise and intrigue its readers.



I may not be a “native English speaker” by birth, but I am most definitely one by experience. My personal background in American culture over a period of more than 20 years enables me to move easily between English and Dutch when translating the subtle connotations of historical and cultural references, humorous remarks or other fine distinctions found in a text.



I believe it of the essence to “think along” with my clients. I consider an original text or translation to be successful when it is not just creative, thought-provoking, accurate, unambiguous and aesthetic, but also effective in establishing the credibility and authority of the client.
Consequently, I tend to go above and beyond the usual business of writing and translating in order to come to such a high-quality text.