Claire Michelon, a translator and content writer with many passions...

The Food and drink industry is the largest manufacturing sector in the EU in terms of turnover and employment. Food and drinks encompass knowledge and practices regarding nutrition. The goal of the Food and drink sector is to satisfy the taste buds of the consumers. The Food and drink sector also promotes togetherness. Food and drinks entice us to taste various dishes to discover new sensations and flavours. Claire Michelon is passionate about the food and drink sector.

Corporate communication encompasses all the actions that promote a company’s brand and image. Corporate communication can be internal or external. Corporate communication differs from brand communication or marketing. It is also called institutional communication.

One of international institutions’ mission is to prevent and manage conflicts. International institutions also deal with economics. International institutions are a part of international law. Claire Michelon used to work for a UNO agency, the ILO, which is an International institution. Claire Michelon has volunteered for an International institution specialised in translation.

Legal translation is of a paramount importance. Legal translation requires a good knowledge of the legal systems. A legal translation must understand all the nuances of the source text. A legal translation doesn’t have the same consequences than a general translation. Le Charme des Mille-feuilles ensures the privacy of your legal documents.

Communication is important. I have always loved reading and the discovery of new words and expressions... I was therefore naturally drawn to the translation of highly visual and dynamic editorial texts. Do not hesitate to entrust me with your brochures, press releases and articles, whether they are about movies, tourism, art and museums or presenting new products…

With its fascinating blend of professional skill and obsession, the world of fine food is one of my passions. I have even been running a cookery blog since 2012. It will be my pleasure to take care of your recipes and other articles relating to fine food, wine or even the hotel industry.

Whether it is a code of conduct, company policy or internal memo, internal corporate communications are not to be overlooked, so that all the linguistic regions of your company are set on an equal footing.

I began translating in this field as part of a six-month contract at the International Labor Office in Geneva, where I worked on reports and briefing documents related to social security and CSR in the world. I also work as a volunteer for Translators without Borders and Humanium.

Globalisation is stimulating an increasing number of international transactions. To facilitate your exchanges, I can take care of the translation of all your contracts, codes of conducts, policies or even letters in the legal field.

During the logo creation, while meditating, I remember an event from my childhood. My father would always laugh about my drawings of trees, which always looked like pencil holders. That is how I knew I had found the right concept, as I really love the image of the tree. So I drew from memory, as I stopped drawing in primary school after being repeated I wasn’t good. Very stiff branches looking like pencils, a very straight ground. If I remember well, I only drew trees as a child. That is how I thought of a logo of a tree whose branches would be as many pencils and pens, with dead leaves all around, as I love autumn, a season that inspired my graphic charter… “Charme” is French for “magic spell”. It’s also the French word for the “hornbeam”, a tree that symbolises change and transformation. Mille-feuilles is not only a delicious French dessert. It literally translates as “1000 sheets” (of pastry or of paper)! and, with the CM we have my initials (Claire Michelon). The hand symbolises the hand of the writer, steady and strong like a tree. The witch’s cauldron symbolises the magic spell, but also a cooking pot. The name charme des mille-feuilles also means I take time to read, rewrite, let the magic operate until finding the harmony for my clients. The logo feels both steady (cauldron, tree) and light (letters and leaves).

Of a curious nature, I love to dig new topics, check for accuracy. Especially when I translate: I don’t stop at what the source text says, when I doubt, I check or ask questions. I have a good ability to synthetise, I’m passionate, compassionate, I love words and to enrich my vocabulary to write texts that are livelier. I’m an activist in matters of inclusion, solidarity, environmental protection… I walk the talk. I’m serious and reliable: I always answer, respect deadlines. Empathetic: I like when people tell me about their story, their passions, their vision, their needs… to then instil it in my texts. I always proofread myself several times, if possible, over the course of several days and I use Antidote to remove as many mistakes as possible.

Hello and welcome to my website!

I’m Claire Michelon. I’m a translator and content writer, as well as a bookworm, apprentice gardener, and keen chef in my spare time.

I’m a bit of an all-rounder and love having my finger in lots of pies (did I mention I love cooking?) This wide variety of interests provides inspiration for my writing, as what I enjoy most of all is playing with words, building bridges with my pen, and going where my keyboard takes me.

Over time and with experience, I have added a number of different strings to my bow, so I can offer you a tailored approach to suit your individual needs. Let’s discuss your requirements - content writing, inclusive writing and SEO, or translation and transcreation - or a combination of all these services, depending on your individual needs.

What’s Le Charme des Mille-Feuilles?

“Charme” is French for “magic spell”. It’s also the French word for the “hornbeam”, a tree that symbolises change and transformation. I particularly like the image of the tree, as it reminds us that, for something beautiful to last, it needs to have strong roots, a firm base, deep values, etc.

Mille-feuilles is not only a delicious French dessert. It literally translates as “1000 sheets” (of pastry or of paper)! “Feuille” is also the French word for “leaf.” We can nearly make the same play on words in English, when we think of taking a leaf out of someone’s book!
So you could translate Le Charme des Mille-Feuilles as the “The Hornbeam of 1000 Leaves” or the “The 1000-Page Spell!” It incorporates my passion for cooking with my love of books and writing – and metaphors, especially food-related ones!

If you are fed up with dull, bland, corporate messaging too, we’re going to get along!

Contact

Reliability

A graduate in Translation from the University of Grenoble, I have been an English and German to French freelance translator since 2013. In 2020, I added content writing to my portfolio of services.
I pay close attention to detail to ensure that each sentence is accurate. In addition, I take a global view of the text, to check it is consistent and hangs together well.
I am always committed to delivering on time, because I know that meeting deadlines is important so your project runs smoothly.

Confidentiality

I will, of course, respect the confidentiality of any documents you send me, whether as part of a request for quote or a firm order. I don’t share my clients’ names without asking first, and I never divulge documents, or the information contained within them, without prior authorisation. That being said, client recommendations are always greatly appreciated!

Partnership

You have the benefit of working with a single point of contact, with no-one in between. You know exactly who is working on your project. When you always use the same translator or content writer, you can be sure that your style and vocabulary will remain consistent and logical from one project to the next. You also get to work with someone who shares your values and knows your products and services.
Depending on the type of project, we can also plan regular updates throughout the assignment, to incorporate your ideas as we go along, because the secret ingredient for successful communication is always to end up speaking in your own words.

My Specialisms

Inclusive Writing

Inclusive writing can be pretty tricky in French. Is it really ruining the language, as the Academie Française has claimed, or is it actually a good strategy for reaching your whole target audience? Did you know that Standard French usage traditionally over-represents male forms to the detriment of other genders? Communicating inclusively means everyone can relate to your message. As a bonus, your texts contain richer vocabulary and stand out from the ordinary, without any loss of style and flow.
Inclusive writing requires rethinking the entire text to address the whole audience, choosing terms which are more collective and gender-neutral, using more imaginative examples, and avoiding derogatory terms, caricatures and stereotypes.
Like any other kind of terminology research, this type of writing requires a thorough, methodical approach. I have the tools and experience to facilitate your inclusivity strategy.
Because I care about inclusivity and the richness of the French language, I work for the Translature website on a voluntary basis. This site is building a dictionary of gender-neutral synonyms, to help rediscover and bring back words that may have fallen out of use, and so enrich our vocabulary. Find out more

Food and tourism

These two sectors often go hand-in-hand, and neither can get by with flat, unimaginative, production-line descriptions. To make you stand out, let’s do something different, make your translations unique, and personalise them so that your communication reflects who you are, and captures the attention of people who resonate with your products and services.
Cooking also happens to be one of my favourite hobbies. I’ve been writing my own culinary blog since 2012 and I’m always learning something new about different culinary techniques, recipes and cultures. This is how I feed my insatiable curiosity.

Fun and games

I’m a total bookworm, happily devouring books with as much alacrity as I get through bowls of ramen. I am also a voluntary librarian - it’s the best job in the world for someone who loves being surrounded by books, discovering new ideas every day and opening windows to the world. Learning is a catalyst for my creativity, not only through books, but also through games.
Do you want to make sure that your rules are clear and consistent? Do you want to speak your players’ language? I spend a lot of my spare time on board games and video games. Let me help you bring your project to life, by taking care of the translation, content writing and editing for your board games, software and rules of play. And as gamers can be any age or gender, let’s be inclusive about it!

Legal, corporate communications and international organisations

I have also specialised as a legal translator, a sector I’ve been passionate about since I worked at the International Labour Organization in Geneva. I can translate all your reports, internal communications, contracts, T&Cs, company policies, etc.
In 2021, I undertook professional development training with Edvenn to further enhance my knowledge and skills for processing legal documents and notarial acts and transposing legal concepts from the UK and US to the French legal system, because legislation is constantly changing.
In this area, I can also offer you inclusive translation or inclusive writing services, to ensure your official documents and internal communications reflect the diversity of your teams. Please get in touch if you would like any advice about editing your texts, creating a glossary, finding alternatives, or finalising your own unique, inclusive style guide that matches your values, your audience and your expectations.

Contact

References

Nils Habicht, Projektmanager (chef de projet), Armonia Deutschland

Wir können Claire als Übersetzerin nur jedem empfehlen. Die Übersetzungen haben eine sehr hohe Qualität und werden sehr schnell geliefert. Die Zusammenarbeit mit ihr ist sehr einfach und unkompliziert. Wir sind mit Ihrer Arbeit sehr zufrieden und greifen sehr gerne auf Sie zurück für unsere Übersetzungen.

Jérôme Denonain - Bul-lon, sophrologue

C’est un vrai plaisir de travailler avec Claire, que j’ai contactée pour de la rédaction et de la communication, notamment pour mon site et mes réseaux sociaux. Sérieuse et toujours à l’écoute, elle m’a proposé un accompagnement sur mesure au-delà de mes espérances. Ses conseils en communication inclusive sont un vrai plus, surtout dans mon métier où l’humain et la bienveillance sont au centre. Un travail de qualité et à une dimension humaine.

Je recommande vivement Claire et je continuerai à faire appel à ses services.

(Pour en savoir plus sur le projet de Bul-lon, lire cet article !)

Translator coordinator, SOS Children's Villages

Claire Michelon is a great translator who always delivers high quality translations on time. She is reliable, capable, easy to work with. Cooperation is always smooth, communication is always clear. I highly recommend her as a French translator.

Claire Davy, co-gérante, ATI Traductions

Claire Michelon traduit et relit de l'anglais vers le français et de l'allemand vers le français depuis 2015 pour ATI. Elle utilise une terminologie adaptée et a le sens du détail, de la formule. Elle est professionnelle, sérieuse, et livre dans les temps des traductions et relectures de qualité. Je recommande ses services et continuerai de faire appel à elle à l'avenir.