ITI Profile: Holly France Junior Associate

After a 10-year break from studying, taking the plunge back into academia to finally follow a long-held dream of working with languages, it felt like coming home…

I’ve always been fascinated by languages. I wasn't raised bilingual but growing up in a family that loved to travel the world, I leapt at any chance to be around other languages. Maybe it’s something in my name (nominal determinism and all that!) but they have always felt like part of who I am.

At 18, I moved to Peru to learn Spanish as I thought it would be a bit more exciting than a classroom in the UK and indeed it was! That experience set me on a path to study French and Spanish at university, picking up Italian along the way. I got to live abroad in Paris and in a little seaside town in Italy called Viareggio, and those experiences really stayed with me – not just the language side of things, but the deeper cultural insight you get (as many of you sure will know) when you actually live in a place and connect with people.

After graduating, I thought I’d be off on my next adventure right away, but life had other plans. I became unwell for several years and had to put my goals on hold. When I was able to return to work, I found myself in the charity sector – including a role with a mental health charity, where I got the opportunity to work directly with individuals facing significant mental health challenges and had the honour of supporting them in their recovery. That time taught me a lot about the importance of clear, empathetic communication and how language can create safety, connection, and dignity for people in vulnerable situations.

Eventually, the long-held but somewhat buried dreams of working with languages began to unearth themselves and I decided to apply for my MA in Translation and Interpreting that I’d always hoped to get, not knowing if my languages would still be at the level they used to be. To my delight I was accepted, and I graduated (with distinction) in December 2024 so I guess my languages never really left me. After my Master’s, I jumped straight into freelancing and these days, I work from French, Italian and Spanish into English as a translator, and I interpret both ways in public service settings. I’ve also learned Swedish and Portuguese to a decent level (hoping to one day add them as working languages) and I’m currently learning German and British Sign Language – I’m definitely someone who finds joy in constantly learning and exploring new ways to connect.

For me, languages and my work as a translator and interpreter is all about people. I love being a bridge between cultures, between individuals and services, between people and the wider world. I care deeply about language access and equity, and I’m especially passionate about projects that involve the arts, public health, international development, and social justice. Audiovisual translation and subtitling are particular interests as well, as I’m drawn to anything that makes content more accessible and inclusive.

I’ve been working as Localisation Project Manager and Editor for an organisation working to support language digitisation for endangered and indigenous languages, and open-access communication. I’ve had the privilege of working with NGOs in the UK, South America, and southern Africa, and I hope to continue building that strand of my work to help organisations communicate their mission in a way that’s clear, respectful, and culturally sensitive.

I joined the ITI as a Junior Associate after being encouraged to do so during my studies and I’m so glad I did. As someone starting out in the industry and navigating freelance life, it felt really important to be part of something bigger and I can say it has been an incredibly valuable part of my journey so far. It can be easy to feel isolated when you're self-employed, and being a member of the ITI has given me not just a support network, but a strong professional foundation and a sense of belonging as I am finding my feet in the industry. The CPD events I have attended so far have been brilliant, and I really value the sense of accountability and trust that comes from being part of a professional body with clear codes of professional standards, practices, and conduct. It’s reassuring, both for me and for my clients, to know I’m not doing this alone.

I’m still shaping the future of my career and keeping an open mind about where it might lead. What is constant, and what always will be, is my love for people, for languages, and for building bridges through communication. I’m excited to keep growing and connecting within the ITI community and beyond.