Bringing words to life and meaning to the screen
My journey
I’m Enora Lessinger, a DipTrans certified translator and CIOL Chartered Linguist (distinction in literary translation), with a Phd in Translation Studies from the Sorbonne Nouvelle.
For over a decade, I’ve been working on a wide range of projects, from literary and academic translation to subtitling and audio description. Authenticity, accessibility and nuanced intercultural communication are my priority.
From the Sorbonne to Oxford, a path shaped by cultural exchange
Originally from Paris, I’m a member of HYPIA (International Association of Hyperpolyglots) and work mainly from French, English, Spanish and Portuguese into French and English. I approach translation as a form of rewriting for a specific audience and context, a creative act that requires a lot of empathy and excellent communication skills.
My career combiness professional practice, academic research and teaching: alongside my work as a freelance translator, I work as a Senior Lecturer in Modern Languages and Translation at Oxford Brookes University in the UK, and I have taught translation at university level in France, the United States and Brazil.
Over the years, I have collaborated with high-profile clients such as TransPerfect, TV Monaco, Brill, Magellan & Cie, and I am on the official translation team of the COP30 Summit.
My story with languages
Born into a monolingual French family, I first started learning English and Spanish at school, and it turned out to be the first step towards a true calling. At sixteen, a friend introduced me to Arabic: I immediately fell in love with this language and its rich culture, a passion that still drives me today.
Over the years, more languages became part of my life — Portuguese, Hebrew, Turkish and Norwegian — each one teaching me to see and feel the world differently. Having lived in eight different countries, I’ve had the privilege of immersing myself in a range of linguistic and cultural environments, each one opening a new world to me.
Today, I keep nurturing this passion: I’m currently focusing on perfecting my Turkish and Norwegian, and have recently taken up Mandarin Chinese.
My Translation Philosophy
For me, translation is all about giving voice to an author, filmmaker, researcher, or anyone seeking to be understood across borders. I am for writing that feels fluent, natural and faithful to the spirit of the original, with constant attention to accessibility — whether linguistic, cultural or sensory.
My work is built on three core principles:
- Linguistic accuracy: faithfully and coherently rendering every nuance of the source text
- Inclusion: making each content accessible and meaningful to all audiences
- Creativity: conveying the emotion, tone and rhythm of the source text through an audience-focused approach
Shaped by years of teaching and research, this philosophy allows me to deliver translations that are elegant, creative, and above all deeply human.
Work with an experienced translator
Have you got a translation, subtitling or audio description project? I offer tailored, confidential services designed to meet your specific needs. Every request receives a personalised quote and attentive follow-up.