Rita Kloosterziel

Rita Kloosterziel – Translator

Literary translator (English to German) with 28 years experience in romance, historical novels and mysteries as well as non-fictional texts.

Overview

I love books, both professionally and privately, and own far more than my shelves can hold. (Which doesn't keep me from buying more ...) In my twenty-eight years as a freelance translator working from English to German I have translated non-ficitional as well as fictional texts such as romances, historical novels and detective novels, but I also love reading them, anything from classic literature to cozy mysteries.

As a translator I am very thorough (think dog with a bone), researching technical terms on pottery, dementia care or psychotherapy or hunting down that word for a particular style of straw bonnet worn by English country girls in the 18th century.

What I like most about translating, however, is finding the right tone of voice, making jokes in English sound funny in German and conveying the tension or light-heartedness, joy or sadness the author intends his or her readers to feel.

For me, the most important point in translating is making a story come to life in another language. This goes far beyond making the words of the original understandable; it also means re-creating the atmosphere of a setting, the distinctive traits of the characters and the way they interact. Re-reading my translation again and again not only silently but also aloud helps me get the rhythm and flow of the text right. The best thing that can happen to a translation is when readers don't notice that what they are reading is a translation!

Services
Non-Fiction
Children’s Non-Fiction DIY & Crafts Education & Reference LGBTQ Non-Fiction Psychology
Fiction
Cozy Mysteries Historical Fiction Women's Fiction
Languages
English to German
Certifications
  • MA in American, Anglo-Irish and English Literature
  • Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English, Grade A

Work experience

Self-employed

Jan, 1995 — Present

Having worked for a number of traditional publishing houses in Germany I have acquired experience in many non-fiction areas ranging from ceramics to educational topics, psychotherapy and dementia care. My work experience in fiction include Helen Bryan’s bestselling novel „War Brides“ for AmazonCrossing and contemporary romance for independently published author Melissa Foster.

Publishers I have worked for:
Amazon Crossing (historical novels, chick lit, crime fiction)
Hanusch Verlag, Koblenz (pottery, ceramics)
Ernst Reinhardt Verlag, München (psychotherapy, dementia care)
Verlag an der Ruhr, Mülheim (educational material)
Bildungsverlag EINS, Troisdorf (literacy)
World Literary Press (contemporary romance)

Portfolio

Verlieben Sie sich mit Josh und Riley in Freundschaft in Flammen. Alle Liebesromane rund um die Bradens können für sich oder als Teil der Reihe Love in Bloom – Herzen im Aufbruch gelesen werden.»Melissa Foster schafft es immer wieder aufs Neue, unterhaltsame G... read more
Die neue Familiensaga von Helen Bryan, Bestseller-Autorin von »Fünf Frauen, der Krieg und die Liebe«.Eine fesselnde Geschichte über eine selbstbewusste junge Frau, über Mut, Solidarität und Liebe.Im schillernden London des 18. Jahrhunderts wird die verwöhnte S... read more
Die Wahrheit über das, was im Sommer 1949 geschah, liegt in den Tiefen von Paul Fischers Grab verborgen ... Nur dumm, dass seine Leiche nicht auch dort ist!Werbetexterin Leigh Koslow geht meist jedem Ärger aus dem Weg. Als sie zu ihrer Cousine Cara in deren vi... read more
ADHS war gestern!Der 15-jährige Liam hat ADHS. Und er galt als hoffnungsloser Fall: mehrere Schulverweise, verzweifelte Eltern, jede Menge Ärger. Als auch die unterschiedlichsten Medikamente nichts halfen, schien Liams Zukunft endgültig verbaut - bis Aero kam!... read more
Menina überlebt als Kleinkind einen verheerenden Wirbelsturm, der über die südamerikanische Pazifikküste hinweggefegt ist. Ihr einziger Besitz: eine Medaille mit einer Schwalbe. Das kleine Waisenmädchen wird von einer amerikanischen Familie adoptiert.Menina wä... read more
Nach dem Selbstmord ihrer Mutter kehrt Abbie Myers nach England in den Lake District zurück. Sie kommt mit ihrer kleinen Tochter – und ohne Ehering am Finger. Als sie erfährt, dass ihr Vater und ihr Bruder sie für die Tragödie verantwortlich machen, ist sie am... read more
Als der Krieg droht, sich vom europäischen Festland aus auf England auszubreiten, richtet sich das schläfrige Dorf Crowmarsh Priors in einer neuen Art von Normalität ein: Evakuierte aus London werden bei Dorfbewohnern untergebracht. Nächtliche Fliegerangriffe ... read more

Rita has 4 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Clara B.

Clara B.

Mar, 2022

Rita demonstrated she had really thought carefully about the meaning of the text, which is not something that can be said of all translators. She was professional and communicative throughout the project and I was happy with the service.
Dana P.

Dana P.

Jan, 2021

Excellent value, and very professional.
H.Y. H.

H.Y. H.

Jan, 2021

Working with Rita has been a wonderful experience. She is thoughtful, efficient, extremely professional and goes above & beyond (she even went through the English version of the book and found errors that my previous editor & proofreaders had missed!). I found her so approachable and easy to "talk to" when I needed to discuss the various aspects of my translations, and very flexible about makin...
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Amelia A.

Amelia A.

Aug, 2020

I loved working with Rita on my German novel translation. She is thoughtful and really cared about creating a wonderful reading experience. Rita was extremely thorough throughout the translation process and caught several errors/inconsistencies that previous (English) edits missed. She also helped me brainstorm appropriate titles/series titles and was so incredibly kind. She had the project don...
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