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Once upon a a time, there was a translator…

An image of David Stockings wearing a green jumper with the word 'translator' in white.

Actually, the story starts much earlier than that. It starts with a human boy whose grandparents taught him to love plants, and parents who liked to be outdoors at least as much as indoors. He grew up in a mid-sized town about 30 miles north-east of London – a nice town, a generally clean and fairly green town. He spent his childhood and teenage years with one foot in urban modernity and one in the historic Essex countryside. Over time, his love of the outdoors took him further and further afield – even to the other side of the world, namely New Zealand,

He also discovered that he loved languages. He studied French and German all the way through school and ended up moving to London to study them at university. London was a bit of a culture-shock – it was exciting and exhilarating, but he soon learned how hard it was to find high-quality affordable food there, and how difficult it was to get hold of a patch of land where he could grow his own. Uncrowded green space and clean air also seemed to be in short supply. Fortunately he also got to study abroad as well, spending one semester in Lyon, France, and one in Innsbruck, Austria before graduating.

A view of the New Zealand countryside from high up a mountain. There is forest in the foreground, with the ocean and a beach or wetland area in the background.
A view of the city of Innsbruck seen from high up a mountain. There are trees, mainly firs and conifers in the foreground and the mountains of the Inn valley in the background. There is also snow and ice on the ground.
An image of a city square in the city of Lyon at night during the annual Festival of Lights. In the foreground is a fountain, with the spray lit up, and in the background is a Ferris wheel, also brightly lit.
An image of David Stockings, sustainability translator, in front of a brick wall. He is wearing a blue shirt and dark tie.

It is at this point of the story that he took a bit of a diversion (or perhaps just the scenic route?). After completing his studies, he wasn’t sure what he wanted to do, except that he knew he wanted to help make the world better. So, he started working in the charity sector – specifically in the finance departments. Being conscientious, he started training as an accountant, to make sure that he really understood the work he was doing. But after a few years, he realised that he missed using his languages, so he went back to university and completed a masters in specialised translation.

And that’s when he finally became the translator he was always destined to be! Of course, that wasn’t the end of the matter. For several years he worked on lots of financial and corporate reporting texts (building on his background in finance and accounting). But his favourite part of these reports was always the sustainability section. This was the part that fascinated him – how companies were (or were not) working to reduce the environmental impact of their operations. Eventually he realised that this was his true passion, rooted in a lifelong love of the natural world and all the ways that humans interact with it. (It also married up with his other interests in growing his own food and spinning and weaving his own textiles.)

A bunch of freshly dug carrots, lying on bare soil
Grey woollen hat with sheep design in white and dark brown
Three groups of 'stooks' of dried flax, bundled up and laid on the bare ground. There are three groups - one small, one medium and one large.

And that’s when Better Worlds Translation was born…

The Better Worlds Translation logo in white (on dark blue background)

That’s my story – how I became a specialist sustainability translator. Telling it to you like this goes against every bit of advice I’ve ever read or heard about introducing yourself on your website. But my humanity is important to me – as is yours. That’s why I think it’s essential that you understand who you are dealing with, and what I mean when I say that I’m a believer.

This is more than just a job for me. I’ve spent years sharpening my language skills, and now I want to put them to work to help you make the world a better place.

If you’ve got a good idea, and need someone to help you tell the world about it, I want to hear about it!

What do I mean by “a good idea”?

Well, here’s what I specialise in…

Artwork depicting biomimicry and environmental science

Biomimcry and
Environmental Science

Artwork depicting food systems and horticulture

Food Systems and Horticulture

Artwork depicting circular economy

Circular Economy

Artwork depicting green finance

Green Finance

If I had to summarise them in one word, it would probably be ‘sustainability’, and I do normally introduce myself a s a ‘sustainability translator’. But that’s an oversimplification. I’m interested in how we live – with each other, with our world and with our future.

Or perhaps I should say ‘futures’, because there’s a plethora of futures we could head towards, a myriad of Better Worlds. And if you’ve got a way to get us there, I’m here to help you tell people about it.

I’ve put together some more detailed information about my background and experience here, if you’re curious. But the main thing you need to know is:

I believe in a better world.

And if you’ve found your way here, the odds are you do too. So I can’t wait to hear all about you – and your idea, of course.

So, what’s your story?