I love reading and find that your favorite books can tell a lot about you. So, to tell you a bit more about me, my work and my clients (and give you a few book recommendations in the process!), here is a small snapshot of my bookshelf.

For a more formal overview of my professional and academic career, kindly visit my LinkedIn profile.
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The Shock Doctrine by Naomi Klein
I became a translator by chance in 2009, when one of my professors asked me to translate his monthly column in a bilingual journal. At that moment, I was also increasingly interested in international relations, more specifically after being blown away by this book. I started honing my skills by translating it and then comparing my version with the official translation. This is how my dual passion for translation and international cooperation initially flourished!

 

All That Is Gone by Pramoedya Ananta Toer
This collection of short stories gave me a glimpse of the painful reality of child marriage long before I started collaborating with Girls Not Brides. Literature sometimes has a way of transcending reality and to me, the fictive story of Inem gives us insights on the fundamental importance of putting an end to child marriage that could never be conveyed in a formal report.

Terre des hommes by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Although this book’s title did not age well in the current era of inclusive writing, the messages in Saint-Ex’s books are still universal. I have read his whole work and could have picked any one of his novels, but this one stands out as a “snapshot” of my personal and professional life because I started translating for the Swiss NGO Terre des hommes shortly after my son Antoine was born.

I would add that one quote from this book perfectly describes my method of constantly re-reading my translations and chipping away at inadequacies: "Perfection is achieved not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away".

 

The Great Haiti Humanitarian Aid Swindle by Timothy T. Schwartz
I always had an interest in Haiti’s history and literature (Dany Laferrière, Marie Vieux-Chauvet and Jacques Roumain are among my favorite authors) and wrote my Master Thesis on the U.S. intervention in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake. And then Swindle was published and now I wish I could rewrite my whole thesis…! It was an honor for me to translate this book and if you are interested in knowing how much more there is to the story of humanitarian aid after the earthquake, or to the story of humanitarian aid in general, I urge you to read it.

TESTIMONIALS

  • Émile Boisseau-Bouvier, Analyst, Climate Policy and Ecological Transition
    "Working with David was a charm. He understood the subtleties, overall meaning and tone of the text and delivered a flawless translation. His attention to detail also helped to identify certain errors in the original English version."
    Émile Boisseau-Bouvier, Analyst, Climate Policy and Ecological Transition
    Équiterre
  • Teika Newton, Managing Director
    "Our experience working with David was superb. He does meticulous, thoughtful work. More than just a translator of text, David works to understand technical content, weed out errors, omissions or ambiguities in text, and he ensures that the essence of written language is communicated accurately and well. David’s editorial suggestions helped to improve the clarity of our work in both languages. His attention to detail and the thoroughness of his work is commendable and we very strongly recommend his services!"
    Teika Newton, Managing Director
    Climate Action Network Canada
  • "We very much appreciate to work with David. He takes the time to understand everything perfectly in the source language so he can do a translation of good quality. He has an eye for detail and his perfectionism has added value to many of our reports and publications."
    Tatjana Aebli, Communication Officer
    Terre des hommes
  • "David is a delight to work with – he is reliable, fast-working and committed to delivering translations of the highest quality. We really appreciate his attention to detail and nuance, and his insights on inclusive language, which have helped ensure our communications in French really reflect us as a Partnership. Thank you!"
    Emma Sadd, Publications Officer
    Girls Not Brides: The Global Partnership to End Child Marriage
  • "Mr. Malenfant provides quality service and makes sure to meet the needs of the client in a swift and professional manner that is highly satisfactory."
    Merette Mathieu, Manager, Québec Outreach
    Windmill Microlending
  • "Thank you very much David for the excellent work. We only have good things to say about it, the translation is excellent, we are very pleased."
    Catherine Farmer, Education Specialist, E-learning
    Equitas