As event season heats up, let me lead you to Leeds! The University of Leeds’ School of Languages, Cultures, and Societies will host the 11th European Society for Translation Studies (EST) Congress on June 30th. In the lead-up to the event, I’ll be posting articles on LinkedIn celebrating Leeds. Those of you born, bred, or based there, please reach out to me or MultilLingual’s, “man in demand” Eddie Arrieta — we’d love to feature your stories.
For now, I’d like to share why the city of Leeds is so special to me. Leeds was the place I chose for my first time living independently back in 1998. Significantly, it was also the first time I’d lived in the United Kingdom (UK), after 10 years in Germany with my family, as part of the British Armed Forces. My parents moved back at the same time, but to our hometown, Blandford Forum, Dorset, in the South West — seven hours by train!
Needless to say, it was a tough ride and a big culture shock! I quickly learned that Leeds is a strong city steeped in intrigue and history — its locals are honest, proud, and able to say, “I get knocked down, but I get up again!” (“Chumbawamba,” 1997). However, they can seem brash or appear unapproachable… until you earn their trust; then all the love, warmth, wit, and charm sitting just beneath the surface reveals itself. Unexpectedly, in Leeds, I found my feet, myself, and my Northern soul! Nine months in, with a job in place (my very first role in sales), I purchased my first home at age 19, going on to work for Alliance & Leicester Bank while also completing an Access Course at what was Park Lane College — which led to an unconditional offer from the University of Leeds.
At the same time, I’d been training at the Northern School of Contemporary Dance in Chapeltown and applying to Conservatoire Dance schools. Then came decision time: a degree in dance from London Contemporary or in professional studies in Leeds with a year’s placement in Madrid?
Dance took the spotlight, but I kept a foot in Leeds, traveling to work on weekends around my London Studies until selling my property in 2008 to relocate to Covent Garden. Almost 10 years later, after retraining as an actor, I returned to Leeds to shoot a film with Sam Worthington (Avatar) and Allen Leech (Downton Abbey). For the first time, I had my own trailer on set, which meant a lot!
This summer, another decade on, I return to Leeds, now blessed to be there as a part of the language services industry after being welcomed and nurtured by Nimdzi Insights‘ Renato Beninatto, Tucker Johnson, Josef Kubovsky, and Inge Boonen (to name a few). While working with Nimdzi over the last four years, I’ve been based in Alicante, so you can imagine how excited I am to be attending the 11th EST Congress in Leeds along with my esteemed colleagues and Nimdzi experts. I hope to see you there!
