About me

I’ve always been a bookworm – the kind of child who spent hours in the village library and fell asleep with a book in hand. Foreign languages fascinated me from an early age. At ten, I would sit for hours listening to my mum’s old French and Italian language courses (on audio cassettes!), soaking up every word.

Still, I chose a more “traditional” career path first: I earned a degree in economics and management and started my professional life working in an international company. I’ve always been good with numbers, and I can get quite obsessed with Excel spreadsheets, but my true passion is for words.

While working in finance, I continued to study languages on the side. Eventually, I decided to turn that passion into a profession. I went back to university and completed a Master’s degree in Translation Studies at the University of Innsbruck, Austria.

My literary side

Personally, I love traditional murder mysteries – ideally with a good riddle to solve and an intriguing setting, like an English country house (quite exotic for a mountain girl like me!). I also enjoy novels with historical connection. Reading, for me, is the pure joy of travelling mentally to another place or time and diving into the world the author has created.

My favourite author of all time is Agatha Christie, and I’ve started collecting Murder on the Orient Express in as many languages as possible. Among my treasures are editions in Slovene, Norwegian, and Basque!

My approach to translation

For me, translating a book is not simply transferring words from one language to another – it’s the re-creation of a story in a new language, as beautifully written and engaging as the original. Translators and authors share the same goal: to create the best possible reading experience for their audience.

That’s why I also cultivate my own writing skills. I write (cosy) mysteries and regularly take part in writing and editing courses. My corporate background gives me a special interest in the entrepreneurial side of writing and publishing.

Today, I translate novels from English, French, and Spanish into German – specializing in cosy mysteries, historical fiction, and small-town romance. My goal is simple: to preserve your unique voice and connect your stories with a German-speaking audience that will love them as much as your readers at home do.

As your translation partner, I bring professionalism, reliability, and deep market insight – helping you bring your books across borders with confidence and quality.

office@danielahartinger.com