That’s me in front of the site of Samuel Butler‘s book Erewhon, in Mesopotamia, New Zealand. I have a soft spot for opinionated 19th-century autodidacts.
My story
I grew up in Eastwood, a north-western suburb of Sydney, Australia. After high school, I travelled a little and spent time in France, then went to university and pretty much stayed there for the next 17 years. I got my BA from the University of Sydney, did my Honours year at Monash University and started my PhD in Philosophy at the University of Melbourne. I took some time out from the PhD to study at the University of Paris 8 on a French government scholarship, then finished my doctorate part-time at the University of Sydney, submitting in 2004.
Meanwhile I worked in universities as a tutor and lecturer, a research and publications assistant, and a projects and events officer. I played an instrumental role in the early years of the Australasian Society for Continental Philosophy as a core member of the conference organising committee from 1997-1999. I have publications and translations in several academic books and journals in this field.
I was awarded NAATI accreditation as a professional French-to-English translator in 2000 and developed this business on the side until I was able to ‘jump ship’ from the academy in 2007 to become a full-time freelance translator. My last academic position was teaching for a term in the department of philosophy at Northwestern University in Chicago.
Translation has been a very stimulating career. It takes me to new places every day and opens my eyes to the worlds within worlds that lie under the surface of our everyday existence – sheet metal facilities, catering contracts for FIFO workers, asphalt. Learning about the machinery, real and figurative, that underpins the modern world has been a joy. Applying my creative skills to the communications that circulate on the surface – media, marketing, commercial publications – has also been a joy.
More recently I have diversified into teaching and editorial work. I have tutored in media translation and specialised translation at the University of NSW and I am Chair of the Editorial Committee and Co-Editor of In Touch, the magazine of the Australian Institute for Interpreters and Translators (AUSIT).
I have also developed a writing practice, mainly in the field of sport. I have been blogging about cricket since 2009, I published an academic piece on the philosophy of sport and am exploring other avenues of online and real life communication. I also produce translation and interpreting-related content for the AUSIT magazine.
I like to think of myself as both creative and disciplined. I am proficient working with abstract concepts but am also attentive to practical logistics. I like working with people and getting out and about. I really like learning and teaching. I come from a long line of teachers and preachers and am a comfortable public speaker.
I recently moved to Canberra and am preparing to enter a new phase of my professional and personal life. When it is not veiled by smoke, Canberra is a lovely city, and it is always interesting, smoky or not.
melissa-mcmahon.com 