Polish to English Translation for Literature, the Arts and Academia
I’m Kate Webster, a professional Polish to English literary translator, editor and subtitler based in London, UK.
I specialise in:
- literature – fiction, nonfiction, children’s books and comics
- texts related to art and culture
- academic texts
- subtitles for films and series
I work with:
- publishers and authors
- museums, galleries and cultural institutions
- universities and academics
- film directors and scriptwriters
My translations have been nominated for prestigious awards including the International Booker Prize and the Oxford-Weidenfeld Prize.
For details of my publications, see my Portfolio page.
You can learn more about my experience and qualifications below.
Feel free to contact me with the details of your project and I’ll get back to you with a quote or a request for more information.
To find out what clients have said about my work, see my testimonials.
About me
I am a native English speaker from the UK. In 2010, I moved to Poland, where I lived and worked for three years. During that time, I set up as a freelance linguist and I’ve been perfecting my translation skills and developing my specialist knowledge ever since.
My experience and qualifications:
- My background is in linguistics and academic research
- I hold an MA in Economy, State and Society in Eastern Europe (Distinction) from UCL
- I graduated with a BA in Linguistics (First Class Honours) from the University of Manchester
- I’m a fully qualified Member of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) and a Member of the Society of Authors
In 2018 I was awarded a six-month mentoring placement with Antonia Lloyd-Jones as part of the Emerging Translator Mentorship programme organised by the National Centre for Writing.
I engage in regular CPD activities to keep up to date in my specialist fields and hone my translation and language skills. I also volunteer as a mentor for colleagues within the ITI’s Polish Network.
Testimonials
I have been commissioning translations from Kate on a regular basis for five years and the texts that she sends are of the highest quality. Kate has proved to be proficient in translating different types of texts: literary pieces, reportage, humourous texts, short stories (which require a deep knowledge of the Polish culture), as well as comic strips. Thanks to her diligence, professionalism, punctuality and enthusiasm, Kate has remained one of our favourite translators and I would definitely recommend her to anyone.
Julia Potocka-Ostaszewska, PRZEKRÓJ Foundation
Kate has provided us with excellent translations on numerous occasions and is consistent in displaying a real understanding of the language of the arts and, more specifically in our case, the language surrounding the very practice of the artist. The translations were completed in a very timely manner given the tight deadlines provided, and the results were spot on. We will definitely be calling on Kate for our future translation needs!
Julia Kelly Kennedy, Simon Lee Gallery, London
Kate Webster’s translation brings these subtle and intricate techniques of distortion and non-linearity out of Polish and into English beautifully, managing the reader’s doubts and hesitations, and the text’s own traps and false trails, with carefully textured narration and cryptically allusive dialogue. These are stories which, remarkably, hold you in your uncertainties—stories which Webster’s precise and creative translational craft makes available to an English readership for the first time.
Judges’ Citation, Oxford-Weidenfeld Prize, June 2023
Throughout the time I’ve been co-ordinating translations I’ve had the pleasure of working with some excellent linguists. Kate is undoubtedly one of our most reliable and efficient translators with precision and professionalism always kept in mind when providing her services for our clients. I’d recommend Kate to anyone seeking outstanding Polish to English translation services.
Fletcher Davies, Translations Coordinator, Vandu Language Services
Kate has worked on a few projects for us – most recently on the subtitles for an English/Polish film. She reviewed the English subtitles and translated the Polish bits of dialogue. We were highly satisfied with her work – the translations were accurate and delivered on time, and Kate was very pleasant to deal with. We look forward to working with her again.
Ian Streule, The Engine House Media Services
Contact
To receive a quote for Polish to English literary translation, or for more information on the services I provide, please contact me by email: kate@webster-translations.com or connect with me on LinkedIn or Facebook.
Accreditations
