From Danish, Swedish and Norwegian to English.

Things that Scandinavians know that Brits don't:

• Janteloven isn't 'Tall Poppy Syndrome' (doesn't even start to cover it, tbh)

• Henrik Ibsen was a funny guy

• Small talk is an affliction

• Being direct isn't rude. It's actually considerate

To be fair, any decent copywriter on either side of the North Sea would agree with that last point. A call to action worth its salt acknowledges the audience's time: the copy is precise, instantly understandable and easy to act on.

Scandinavian business communication is often more direct and egalitarian than British business English. It gets to the point quickly and says what it means. No unnecessary ceremony here.

The problem comes when that directness has to travel into English.

Because you can't simply translate the words. You have to keep the clarity and confidence without making the brand sound brash or colder than an ice cube in the Kiruna.

AI translation can be precise and blisteringly quick. But corporate video scripts, speeches and explainers need more than accuracy.

You've fed your script into the machine. The English version it spits out may be grammatically correct, but the copy you spent days on now feels flatter than a pandekage. The information is still there, but the warmth and conviction have disappeared.

Sometimes the translation stays too close to the source. The rhythm feels unnatural and the voiceover sounds written rather than spoken.

Sometimes the opposite happens: Scandinavian restraint gets replaced with a loud, salesy style that feels inflated or culturally wrong. And your warm, intelligent brand voice? Gone.

Or the register shifts. A message that began in a genuine, less hierarchical tone now sounds like an old-school corporate edict from the top.

Then there are practical problems. A line that sits neatly in Swedish, Danish or Norwegian may overrun in English. Prune it back to fit and you risk losing the nuance or humour that made the original work.

This is where I can help: by helping Scandinavian communication land more clearly and naturally in English.

I work from Danish, Swedish, Norwegian or English source material and turn it into scripts, voiceover and messaging that sound as if they were written in English in the first place.

That might mean finding a more natural English phrase. Reshaping a line that looks fine on the page but dies in the read. Restructuring a voiceover so the thought lands in the right place. Or taking a translated script that’s technically correct and giving it back its warmth, rhythm and point.

The aim isn't literal translation; nor is it generic business English.

It's English with the clarity, confidence and character of the original text still intact.

I’m half English, half Danish and a dual UK–Danish national.

I've lived and worked in Copenhagen and Stockholm, and have professional experience writing and producing broadcast campaigns in Swedish, Danish and Norwegian for Scandinavian broadcasters and production companies.

Today, I use that background to help Scandinavian teams shape clear, credible English scripts and messaging for international audiences — especially where tone, trust and cultural register matter.

Talk to me about a project