We continue the cycle of interviews dedicated to our most regular collaborators, through which we want to show the reality of the translator profession and of the other profiles that contribute to the hectic activity of an agency.
The fortunes of our company depend directly on the performance of its employees. We are very lucky because we can count on an excellent group of professionals who are constantly training and challenging themselves to fine tune their skills and expand their expertise.
Camilla Pieretti was one of our first external collaborators when we decided to shift our focus from production to management. She first graduated from SSLMIT in Trieste and then at the TuttoEuropa Agency in Turin, where she earned a master’s degree in Literary Translation Meanwhile, she also managed to live in Granada, Damascus, Rabat, New York and New Zealand.
In addition to working on the localisation of major international e-commerce sites, she has translated, among others: The Twelve Lives of Alfred Hitchcock by Edward White, Book of Play by Michael Rosen, Leonard Cohen on Leonard Cohen: interviews and Encounters by Leonard Cohen and Expensive people by Joyce Carol Oates for Il Saggiatore, Led Zeppelin dei Led Zeppelin for Rizzoli and a variety of other volumes.
Let’s start from the beginning: how long have you been translating?
“Officially” since 2013, but my passion started when I was 16-17.
And how did you get started? Since when do you collaborate with Qabiria?
While reading The Hobbit in English I thought my brother might like it, so I translated 60 pages of it (which he never read), rhyming songs and all. Professionally speaking, however, after I graduated in the field and had a few sporadic collaboration with local publishers and agencies in Trieste, in 2013 I started working on a regular basis thanks to Qabiria.
What do you appreciate about this collaboration?
I really like the didactic-training approach that Marco and Sergio have always had towards all their collaborators and how they foster an open communication and dialogue. Over the years, I’ve really learned a lot (and a little bit I hope I’ve passed on to those who came after me)
And what would you improve?
Rates... :P
What is the most interesting project you have worked on?
In 2021 a large U.S. architectural firm commissioned me to translate some texts and video subtitles for the “Life Beyond Earth” booth at the Venice Biennale, a project of housing modules to be used on the Moon that is truly remarkable! It was very exciting to both delve into the topic and then see it realized in the exhibition.
What is your typical work day like?
I start pretty late (being the nocturnal animal that I am) and generally try to deal with technical texts in the morning and literary texts in the afternoon, because they are often longer and require more concentration. Otherwise between pre-ski gymnastics, swimming, friends, ski touring and various activities I can’t say I have a “typical” day: the beauty of being a freelancer is also that if the sun comes out I can decide to go for a walk whenever I want!
What is currently the biggest challenge for a translation professional like you?
Managing to stay competitive in the market and finding new inspiration, because you have to keep renewing and expanding your horizons.
“I have found myself stronger, more determined, and more able to respond to adversity than I would have imagined, and because of this (and my stubbornness) I have had incredible experiences.”
Your resume includes translations of some fairly successful books. What differences or mutual influences do you find between the two approaches?
Yes, over the years I have collaborated with various publishing houses, translating mainly (but not only) popular non-fiction on the most diverse topics, from history to botany, from music to cinematography. Compared to technical translation, literary translation is very different and, for me, “liberating”, in both form and substance, but I couldn’t think of doing without one or the other; on the contrary, over the years it has been interesting to see them intersect.
As a technical translator, I often work on short projects, spread out over time or divided among several people with whom there is not always a way to compare notes, so it is more difficult to have a homogeneous idea of the project as a whole. In this sense, the use of CAT tools and translation memories, which also help with terminology and repetitions in the text, is essential. Dealing with a book, on the other hand, means “immersing” oneself completely in that world for a certain period of time, making the author’s voice one’s own and trying to render it as best as possible in one’s own language, working on it little by little. However, working on literary texts helps me keep an elastic, creative and effective mind,even for technical texts, especially marketing ones, while a good technical background has helped me to deal with even the most difficult sectoral jargon encountered in my books. I was able to find the “right balance” between the two worlds and couldn’t be more pleased.
Besides translating, how do you spend your time?
Until before the pandemic, I would have answered “traveling”. I have always been fascinated by countries and cultures different from ours, so much so that I chose to study Arabic to try to learn more about it. Thanks to my job, I have been able to live several more or less prolonged periods abroad, immersing myself into local life: the three months stay in Syria, Morocco and then New York, Australia, New Zealand, they are all experiences that have enriched me greatly and given me a broader view of the world around us.
Many translators love the mountains. It must be a reaction to sedentary living. Do you have any memorable stories?
When I manage to stay in a single place for a while, I like to devote myself to outdoor sports and in particular to ski mountaineering, which over the years has taken me up and down mountains all over the Alps and beyond: in 2012 I climbed Mount Etna on skis... in eruption! Climbing on skis on a snowy slope overlooking the sea already is no small wonder, but seeing the plume of smoke that rises higher and higher in front of your eyes, the white steam of snow melting, hear the roar of explosions and the angry hissing caused by the collision between snow and lava ... that day we returned to the valley almost stupefied by the excitement. Sooner or later I would like to explore other areas on skis, such as the Lofoten (Norway), Canada or Japan. In the meantime, I keep myself busy by accompanying participants on social outings and keeping up to date with the Snow and Avalanches course at the Righini School (CAI Milan).
When the snow is over, instead, I dedicate myself to mountaineering, trekking and sailing with friends... but I don’t mind some nice afternoons on the sofa with a good book either.
**Is there any trip that has left its mark more than others?
Each of the trips I’ve taken has given me something, from the magic of the Libyan desert to my first experiences with the Arabic language in Damascus, from the solitary exploration of every corner of New York to road trips in Australia, among fords, fires and strange animals.
The year I spent in New Zealand in 2019, then, was truly magical, because it allowed me to fill my eyes with beautiful landscapes, get in touch with a new culture and language (Māori), discover animals I didn’t even know existed, and challenge myself in so many ways. I have found myself stronger, more determined, and more able to cope with adversity than I would have imagined, and because of this (and my stubbornness) I have had incredible experiences. The best of them: with a friend - and a guide - we descended into an underground cave to do black water rafting and see the glowworms, bioluminescent insects that emit a blue light, so it feels like being under a sky full of stars... underground!!! To date, it stays one of the most amazing things I have ever seen.
Photography by Kiwi Cave Rafting
How do you see your future? Will you continue to translate or devote more time to your passion? Translating is my passion!!! That said, I would love to be able to combine my work with my love of winter environment by translating mountain literature. I also have a publishing project on my mind, but I have yet to outline it in detail... in addition to a long, long series of trips planned, of course!
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