About Me

Hi! I’m Emma Lenzi

and I’m the translator, editor and language consultant you were looking for.

I can translate your texts from English and German into Italian (my native language), but I’m also the right person if you need any of the following services: professional language advice, a thorough revision or proofreading of a previously translated text, the creation of subtitles for your audiovisual content, the editing of a manuscript you want to polish… and much more.

See what I can do for you!

Interested in the journey that led me to become a professional translator? Here’s my story…

Translating is like exploring

I didn’t always dream of being a translator. As a child, I wanted to be an explorer: I thought it was the only job that would bring me into contact with languages and cultures from other countries. But when I discovered the world of translation, I realized that translating is like exploring.

Don’t believe me? Just think about it! Every time translators tackle a new text, they set out to explore different words, worlds and cultures, ferrying them back to anyone who’s just as curious, but is unable to experience the same adventure due to an otherwise insurmountable linguistic barrier.

Before embarking on my first “translation journeys”, I equipped myself with the proper tools:

  • A Bachelor’s Degree in European Languages and the History of Visual Arts, University of Pisa
  • A Master’s Degree in Literary Translation, University of Pisa
  • A study period abroad in Dresden, Germany (Erasmus programme)
  • A postgraduate specialisation in Translation Studies, University of Portsmouth

Last but not least, I leapt at the chance to learn more about the publishing industry with an internship at Usborne Publishing in London.

Thus I began my career as a freelance translator, collaborating with publishing companies, translation agencies and private clients, many of whom I still work with today.

Specialisations galore!

To paraphrase Jane Austen, “It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a translator […] must be in want of a specialisation”.

Translation studies and an in-depth knowledge of one or more languages are key elements for anyone working in this field, but to take your work to the next level you need something more. That “something more” is ongoing training, in addition to a focus on one or more specialisations.

To this end, we all more or less follow our own inclinations.

For me, the choice came naturally:

  • I followed my nature as an avid reader by specialising in the translation of literature, fiction and non-fiction. These texts require an excellent ear, meticulous polishing and attention to detail and nuances. I especially love translating books aimed at younger readers.
  • For translations in the travel and tourism sector, I draw on both my love of travel and my long experience as a ground hostess for the Port of Livorno.
  • My interest in translating texts in the music sector is a natural consequence of a journey I began as a child and which led me to complete the fifth year of classical guitar, with further certificates in solfeggio, music history and general musical culture.
Interested in my work? Here’s my portfolio

Looking for a professional that can work with these text types?

I’ll show you just how I can help, and together we’ll decide how best to take care of your project.

Contact me!