L’Hebdomadaire des réviseurs Welcomes a New Managing Editor

Happy New Year, readers! If your New Year’s resolution includes doing some professional development en français, you’re in luck! The French-language “sister site” to The Editors’ Weekly will be rolling out more content in 2025, so make sure you’re subscribed to posts at l’Hebdomadaire des réviseurs.

In the meantime, we invite you to get to know Gaby Balan, the new managing editor of l’Hebdomadaire des réviseurs.

Tell us a bit about yourself! 

Gaby Balan: I am a mother of two wonderful sons, my gifts from heaven. My ancestors are of Haitian origin. I have lived in Haiti, Quebec and Ontario. My father died when I was seven years old; I was raised by a single mother, who died a few years ago at the age of 98.

I worked as a teacher for about twenty years. For the past five years, I have been putting my studies in literature and translation to good use as a translator, editor and interpreter. I work with text in English, French and Haitian Creole. 

What’s your editing specialty?

GB: Translation from Haitian Creole fills a large percentage of my work, as well as some editing of texts in English and French. I edited a documentary film in Creole for Quebec filmmaker Brigitte Poupart and producer Anne-Marie Gélinas of EMAfilms. It was a great experience.

I am currently revising a diary/book set in Africa just before Apartheid, in which the author favours British English. I am happy to juggle British style and Canadian style for the satisfaction of my client. 

What drew you to volunteer with l’Hebdomadaire des réviseurs?

GB: With the rise of computer-aided human translation (CAT), artificial intelligence (AI), etc., human translation could soon be a thing of the past, creating a need for trained editing professionals to correct machine-translated texts. It is in this spirit that I decided to volunteer with Editors Canada — to learn by doing, acquire a specialty and get out of the isolation of individual work. 

What kind of content do you hope to see from contributors to the blog this year?

GB: I want the blog to be a platform that gives a voice to marginalized communities, First Nations writers and editors and Francophones from here and elsewhere. I’d love to see discussions of underrepresented forms of literature, for example, voodoo literature.

The blog’s readership can also make suggestions. We are in Canada, a country that has two official languages. I would like to hear another narrative, not only that of the dominant culture.

[Editor’s note: If you have an idea for a French post, you can write to Gaby via l’Hebdomadaire des réviseurs!]

What’s your favourite resource for French-language editing?

GB: A revision tool is like a good knife blade that must be honed to stay sharp: the more you use it, the more skillful you become. I’ve purchased Antidote, a software that can be used in either English or French. I also like TERMIUM Plus, Usito and la Vitrine linguistiqe de l’Office québécois de la langue française, all of which are Canadian resources.

At the moment, I’m in a period of transition from education to translation and editing, and I’m getting to know the resources. I am a member of the Network of Translators in Education, which focuses on specific content oriented toward education. 

Did you read any good books over the winter holidays?

GB: I listened to a lot of documentaries and podcasts about Haiti. Recently, I’ve wanted to see Haitians in person, even if it’s on the small screen — to hear them speak, to enjoy their laughter. Haitian schoolchildren learn French literature before learning Haitian literature. Because of this, I have many books in French, but I would also like to read more Haitian authors and other authors from minority groups. 

Is there anything else you’d like readers to know?

GB: All those who practice literary professions or work in editing are invited to read the blog and propose content for l’Hebdomadaire des réviseurs. 

___

The Editors’ Weekly is the official blog of Editors Canada. Contact us.