Rachel Ward
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racheltranslates.bsky.social
Rachel Ward
@racheltranslates.bsky.social
1.6K followers 1.2K following 850 posts
FITI, Literary & creative translator, German & French to English: children's/YA and crime fiction, history; proofreader, bookworm; food, crafts, history; cats; climbing; cycling; she/her; Twitter: @FwdTranslations Mastodon: @FwdTranslations@zirk.us
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racheltranslates.bsky.social
This #InternationalTranslationDay, I submitted my translation of Schwedenbitter/Sharks by Simone Buchholz to @orendabooks.bsky.social so decided to celebrate with a cycle and coffee. Added enough miles to earn the most decadent cake on the menu! Found some conkers along the way too.
Chocolate, caramel brownie with whipped cream, and an iced coffee with a stripy straw on a round table in sunshine and shadow Four glossy conkers gleaming in the sun
September 30, 2025 at 2:24 PM
racheltranslates.bsky.social
A glorious morning for a ride, a perfect cake and coffee stop at Old Buckenham Country Park, and home to find that my translator copies of Save You by Mona Kasten have arrived! Aren't they pretty?! 💙📚

#norfolkcycling #cafebythepond #maxtonhall #inmytranslation #literarytranslation #booksky
Iced coffee and carrot cake on a table by a pond. There is a bike sculpture in the pond for some reason, and some swans that posed every time I put the camera away. A copy of Save You by Mona Kasten held up against the deep blue sky THE SECOND BOOK IN THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING Marton Hall SERIES - NOW AN AMAZON PRIME STREAMING SERIES - IN ENGLISH FOR THE FIRST TIME AFTER ALL THE HURT BETWEEN THEM, WILL THEY BE ABLE TO FIND THEIR WAY BACK TO EACH OTHER? Ruby Bell thought that she and James Beaufort had something special. She's never had such strong feelings for someone. And after his betrayal, she's also never felt this much hurt. Ruby just wants her old life back, before she knew anyone at Maxton Hall, before she knew James. She used to be able to rely on her studies to keep her focused, but school is no longer a refuge - not when she sees James everywhere. But she has to stay on track, especially with university looming over them both and the uncertainty of what the future holds. Despite everything, Ruby wants to support James as he struggles with his father's expectations of his taking over the family business. But she makes one thing very clear: She is not willing to forgive him or give him a second chance. As love and hate compete for Ruby's heart, James will try everything he can to win her back. Translation by Rachel Ward
September 9, 2025 at 1:01 PM
racheltranslates.bsky.social
Pretty book post today: my translation of Save Me, the first Maxton Hall novel by Mona Kasten.

#booksky #literarytranslation 💙📚 #MaxtonHall
A pile of copies of Save Me by Mona Kasten with one at the top, face out, on a round table, beneath a vase of sunflowers. The cover text is glossy and reflective in dark turquoise with a line drawing of a fancy school building. A sticker indicates that the series is also available on Amazon Prime. THE FIRST BOOK IN THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING Marton Hall SERIES-NOW AN AMAZON PRIME STREAMING SERIES-IN ENGLISH FOR THE FIRST TIME THEY COME FROM DIFFERENT WORLDS, AND YET THEY ARE MEANT FOR EACH OTHER. Money, glamour, luxury, power - Ruby Bell couldn't be less interested in these things if she tried. After being awarded a scholarship to one of England's most prestigious and expensive private schools, Maxton Hall, all she wants is to keep her head down, work hard, and get accepted to Oxford. She keeps her distance from everyone, especially the arrogant, rich, and extremely handsome James Beaufort, ringleader of the school's party boys. When Ruby discovers a scandalous secret about the Beauforts, she is suddenly on James's radar. It only gets worse when James is forced to work with her to plan the school's annual gala. Though the more time they spend together, the more they realize they share much more than they thought. Falling for James Beaufort was never part of her plan, yet Ruby can't help but let her feelings sweep her away. However, James must make a decision for himself: Will he choose what's expected of him or what he feels for her? Translation by Rachel Ward
September 2, 2025 at 11:16 AM
racheltranslates.bsky.social
Been out to blow the cobwebs away at the beach...
Rainbow coloured kite, blue sky, wispy white clouds
August 11, 2025 at 6:03 PM
racheltranslates.bsky.social
A good ride out this morning with a nice coffee stop in Hingham, then home to book post! 💙📚🚴

@jencalleja.bsky.social
@jayhulmepoet.bsky.social
Fair, the Life-Art of Translation by Jen Calleja and The Vanishing Song, Poems by Jay Hulme leaning against a planter of flowers
July 30, 2025 at 12:41 PM
racheltranslates.bsky.social
I fail to see what the story is here. It seems evident that if you live in London, you might like to visit the countryside, and that if you live in the country, you might like to visit the city. Surely it makes sense to advertise to people at both ends of your train line?!
HATS off to Greater Anglia for its latest adverts. A new campaign via ad agency Atomic called "UNLONDON" shows a stressed office worker throwing off the shackles of dull London desk life to escape to Norfolk's beaches via railway. "It's great out there," runs the tagline. It was only two months ago, however, that Greater Anglia ran another ad campaign it called "Bringing London Closer". This was about how wonderful it is to be able to get into London from East Anglia and enjoy the bustling city highlights such as Camden Market. Doubles all round for the ad men. Geddit?!
July 26, 2025 at 8:03 AM
racheltranslates.bsky.social
Bees in the hollyhocks

#tinyjoys #bloomscrolling
Bright pink flowers against brown garden furniture with a bumblebee all covered in pollen in the middle of the topmost of them
July 4, 2025 at 12:38 PM
racheltranslates.bsky.social
"The sky hangs low, it looks like it could use a lie-down."

Same line in my translation -The Acapulco by @ohneklippo.bsky.social, pub. @orendabooks.bsky.social
Book Cover text: Reading Buchholz is like walking on firecrackers ... a truly unique voice in crime fiction' Graeme Macrae Burnet THE ACAPULCO A CHASTITY RILEY INVESTIGATION 'Such a revelation' Laura Lippman SIMONE BUCHHOLZ WINNER OF THE CWA CRIME IN TRANSLATION DAGGER Image shows the Hamburg night sky and neon light style text, plus half a face and a Stanley knife
June 24, 2025 at 12:01 PM
racheltranslates.bsky.social
I'm (very slowly) reading Vanity Fair, as I haven't read it for a very long time, but the print in my 90s £1 classics edition is so tiny that it's hard work! 🤓 Compare with the huge font size in Richard Osman's We Solve Murders... One feels like padding and the other like saving paper!
My copy of Vanity Fair by William Makepeace Thackeray in the yellow/orange of the Penguin Popular Classics editions, with detail from a historical painting on the cover Vanity Fair on the left and We Solve Murders on the right, demonstrating the considerable difference in print size
June 23, 2025 at 1:17 PM
racheltranslates.bsky.social
Here is a rose that shares my name, and has a lovely scent, glowing in the evening light yesterday. #bloomscrolling
Peachy pink rose amid green leaves with the evening sun behind
June 21, 2025 at 1:15 PM
racheltranslates.bsky.social
Enjoyed leading a workshop on translating picture books for the ITI French Network at the gorgeous Dragon Hall, on home turf in Norwich this morning. Great creativity on display!
The medieval oak roof beams of Dragon Hall
June 13, 2025 at 6:07 PM
racheltranslates.bsky.social
@thereisnocat01.bsky.social
Photo of our landing, lots of carpet, a rocking chair and footstool, and a hiding cat
June 5, 2025 at 1:33 PM
racheltranslates.bsky.social
One for @lynneguist.bsky.social - perfectly cromulent UK word that the spelling bee won't allow me!
Screenshot of the NT Times Spelling Bee with the word DODGILY
May 23, 2025 at 8:30 AM
racheltranslates.bsky.social
Gorgeous ride via Marlingford this morning despite some weird directions from Komoot. Pleasant 26km 🚲😎
Former watermill in white weatherboard under a blue sky, framed by green trees. In the foreground is the road in dappled shade, and my bike leaning against the end of the bridge over the weir.
May 20, 2025 at 12:11 PM
racheltranslates.bsky.social
Had a lovely pootle around the lanes this morning in the sunshine on the bike. 😎 Also discovered that "pootle" is not a word in the US Scrabble dictionary 😭
Hawthorn hedge with masses of white blossom under a blue sky with wispy white clouds
April 12, 2025 at 4:06 PM
racheltranslates.bsky.social
Kate Atkinson, Death at the Sign of the Rook, and Emily Henry, Funny Story
April 4, 2025 at 7:31 PM
racheltranslates.bsky.social
#bloomscrolling #tulipwatch
A white tulip with pink stripes, open in the sun
April 4, 2025 at 4:12 PM
racheltranslates.bsky.social
@bengoldsborough.bsky.social Like pretty much all my writer and translator friends and colleagues, Meta have used pirated copies of my work to train their AI systems. I’ll be asking META to #DoTheWriteThing on Thursday 3 April. #metabookthieves #MakeItFair
Society of Authors image #DoTheWriteThing and protect authors' livelihoods from the unlicensed use of their work in AI Training #MetaBookThieves. At the bottom are a diverse bunch of people waving placards reading #BookThieves, Make It Fair, Do the Write Thing and Compensation for Creators
April 3, 2025 at 10:28 AM
racheltranslates.bsky.social
Watching the cats this morning and their permanent Türschlusspanik as they bolt through any door you're trying to close. When they're dithering about whether to go out or come in, should that be Türschlussunentschlossenheit? What else would you put in a #GermanForCats dictionary?! #DeutschFürKatzen
Black-and-white cat sitting next to the living room door, on the threshold between the room and the landing
April 2, 2025 at 11:34 AM
racheltranslates.bsky.social
Getting slowly back to work after a fab & intense week in Berlin & Leipzig for the Internationales Übersetzertreffen and the Book Fair. So many lovely people & books, so much to take in, but also time to play tourist with @katyderbyshire.bsky.social. Many thanks to the LCB, Toledo, DÜF et al!
The end of a long table with books, water bottles etc on it reaching into a curved bay window with four arched window bays and an open door silhouetted against a blue sky and a view of the Wannsee lake and trees that are still bare A pile of books. Top to bottom: Das Fest by Lucy Fricke, Seinetwegen by Zora del Buono, Schwebende Lasten buy Annett Gröschner, Mystische Fauna by Marica Bodrožić, Dieser Garten by Mely Kiyak, Verzauberte Vorbestimmung by Jonas Lüscher, Sehr geehrte Frau Ministerin by Ursula Krechel The LCB building seen from below at the bottom of the garden with a green lawn, bare trees and a blue sky with white clouds . The building is red brick with pointed turrets in a neo-Gothic style Inside the glass hall at the Leipzig Messezenturm. There is a huge curved glass roof with a blue sky behind it and a rainbow of banners reading 123 arte ARD1 Kultur - German television channels - and more banners behind. There are crowds of people mingling below them.
March 31, 2025 at 10:50 AM
racheltranslates.bsky.social
Glorious morning with Norfolk being Norfolk...
Blue road bike leaning against a weathered fence next to a pond. Across the pond is a round-towered church and a cluster of houses. The sky is bright blue and cloudless and the view is reflected in the water. The trees are still bare.
March 18, 2025 at 1:38 PM
racheltranslates.bsky.social
It's Pancake Day (P-P-P-P-P-P-P-P- Pancake Day)
Somewhat untidy crepe-style pancake in a frying pan, turned onto the second side so the darker pattern is visible from cooking
March 4, 2025 at 1:14 PM
racheltranslates.bsky.social
Glorious ride with an unexpected diversion due to a flooded road this morning. Skylark both seen and heard, 15 miles in the sunshine #tinyjoys 😎
Country lane with hedges and ivy-covered tree and a bright blue sky. The road is flooded and the sky is reflected in the water.
March 2, 2025 at 11:37 AM
racheltranslates.bsky.social
A beautiful Norwich morning on a riverside stroll with Son2 today. So nice to see the sun!
The River Wensum looking towards the old Jarrold plant from Fye Bridge: the river and sky are blue, the willow trees shine yellow and there is a small boat on either side of the river. In the distance there is another bridge.
February 17, 2025 at 2:58 PM
racheltranslates.bsky.social
It's always weird to be back on the UEA campus, but I enjoyed leading a workshop on translating puns for the current MALT students yesterday evening and I hope they had fun too...
Looking across the UEA square from the top of the steps. Grey concrete and grey sky in all its brutalist splendour and a splash of colour from green grass and a student's red bag
February 13, 2025 at 9:58 AM