This is me, Anju Okhandiar.
I’m a native Hindi speaker based in Edinburgh, Scotland.
I have a robust background in languages, and my compelling love for languages is a huge asset to my current work. Before I became a freelancer, I was an English teacher for 22 years with special interests in Bilingualism and English as an Additional Language (EAL).
I also have a BA in Philology from Humboldt Universität Zu Berlin, and an MA in English and Linguistics from the University of Nottingham.
The two areas of my work are translation and editing.
Translation:
I am an outstanding translator from English into Hindi.
A chartered linguist and a published translator, I translate from English into Hindi and vice versa.
I specialise in literary translation and have translated articles, poetry, stories, and memoirs in this genre. Since, 1988 I have been offering exceptional translations to government, education sector and private companies. Adhering to key aspects in translation, to include features of linguistic, paradigmatic, stylistic and textual levels, I adapt a relevant translation technique to suit the given text. With my disciplined translation know-how and a strong eye for detail, I aim for a translation that stands out, preserving its cultural adaptation.
With excellent fluency depth in both the source and target language I strive to convey the exact intended meaning of the honed text accurately, along with the actual tenor and mode, ensuring that the final translation reads smoothly as if it was written in the original language.
My first professional training in translation and broadcasting was with the BBC World Service.
I joined the Chartered Institute of Linguists (CIOL) after my postgraduate studies. Since, I have completed numerous courses, workshops and webinars to further enhance my translation repertoire and expertise. I was a committee member of the Scottish Society of Chartered Institute of Linguists (SCIOL) (from September 2006 to August 2012).
https://www.ciol.org.uk/member-check/profile/80075/2307
In addition to the above, I'm a member of the Society of Authors and have had the privilege to serve as an elected committee member of the Translation Association (from November 2021 to November 2024).
I have judged the Schlegel-Tieck translation prize for German book translations into English since 2023 for the Society of Authors. https://societyofauthors.org/prizes/translation-prizes/german-schlegel-tieck-prize/
Editing:
Working as an editor enables me to organise my critical thinking, knowledge and understanding of language, reinforces attention to detail, clarity and consciousness.
Interacting with clients further strengthens my interpersonal skills and supercharges my creativity.
I specialise in developmental editing.
I also offer editing, copy editing, proofreading, revision and review of books, articles and online content.
When I first started as a freelance editor, I trained with Publishing Scotland and took the Proofreading course, as well as the two-part Copyediting Suite.
Later when I joined the CIEP in 2021 I took various professional editorial courses including with other reputed providers, like The Publishing Training Centre, Denise Cowle, Louise Harnby, Liminal Pages and Cadman Training.
I have been active locally with Edinburgh Editors' Network (EEN) and appear on their directory. d in its local branch, Edinburgh Editors' https://edinburgheditorsnetwork.org/directory/
I am a member of the Society of Indexers, and am currently undertaking the Training in Indexing course with the Society.
