By Aliya Esmail
Background:
Luise von Flotow is a Canadian translator, professor and researcher with strong German cultural influences (which she uses to her advantage in many of her works). Her recent academic career started in 1974, when she obtained her undergraduate degree in French and German from the University of London. She then completed a post-graduate certificate in Education at the same university. Between 1975 and 1982, her education was interrupted and enhanced by the arrival of four beautiful children. Luise then picked up right where she left off and graduated with a Masters degree in French from the University of Windsor and achieved doctoral status in 1991 when she graduated from the University of Michigan with a Ph.D. in French. She is most known for her groundbreaking research on feminism and translation, gender issues in translation, cultural diplomacy and translation, transnational feminist interests in translation and translation studies, audiovisual translation and production of many literary translations from French and German to English. She currently holds a position at the University of Ottawa but has also worked in other universities in France and Germany. Her experience abroad is just one of the many ways Luise has developed an open mind and a keen eye for observation. As such, she has had an illustrious career and continues to pursue unanswered questions in the field of translation. 
Extra-curricular Activities:
         Along with teaching, translating and research, Luise has also been involved in many extra-curricular activities. From 2011-2012, she was a consultant for Translator Training and Curriculum Development in the Sri-Lankan National Languages Project. She also served as a co-administrator for the Canada-European Community Programme for Cooperation in Higher Education from 1998-2001. She continues to, of course, disseminate her knowledge with those keen on further understanding her work in the field and benefit from her expertise. 
Literary Translations:
Dr. von Flotow is a recognized and celebrated translator in Canada. Her most recent translation was of the French book L’hotel des quatre chemins (Four Roads Hotel) by France Theoret. As one of the professors for the graduate literary translation workshop at the University of Ottawa this past year, students participating in the workshop were able to benefit from seeing her translation as an example for the level of high-quality work expected when translating various pieces of literature.  
In 2013, she translated La femme du stalinien (The Stalinist’s Wife) by the same author, from French to English. This book tells the story of Louise Aubert, her break from Mathieu Lord when he joins the Stalinist party, and her re-invention through language into a woman who is no longer governed by ordinary codes, conventions and commonplaces. 
Her translations come highly rated, widely accepted and appreciated for capturing the author’s true intentions of the book into another language, a process that comes only with many years of experience.
 Major Works:
         Luise has been involved in the publication of many impactful books that have paved the path for new research in the field. Her most recent role as an editor for the book, Translating Women: Different Voices and New Horizons, published in 2016 in conjunction with Farnazeh Farahzad focuses on women and translation in cultures’ across other horizons beyond the typical Western view. It examines the impact of Western feminism when translated to other cultures and explores questions around women’s roles in translation. This publication proved how much-unexplored material there was in this field.
In 2007, she also authored the book, Translating Canada, which examines cultural materials exported by Canada in addition to those selected for acquisition by German publishers, theatres, and other culture brokers. It also considers the motivations of particular translators and the reception by German reviewers of works by a wide variety of Canadian writers. Above all, the book maps a number of roles that translation assumes in the intercultural negotiation of national images and values.
 Another book she published in 1997, called Translation and Gender, has become another great resource to consult in the field of feminist theory and translation. This book discusses recent works in translation against the background of the women’s movement and its critique of “patriarchal” language. Truly an innovator, Dr. von Flotow has continuously shed light on topics that require more than just a preliminary glance.
Ongoing Research:
Luise is currently underway with a research project about Canada in Latin America. This project, in collaboration with the Social Science and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC) aims to trace and describe the movement of Canadian writing into Latin America via translation. She is working on this project with other esteemed contributors to the field of translation such as Marc Charron (Ottawa), Hugh Hazelton (Concordia), Claudia Lucotti (Mexico), Miguel Montezanti (Argentina) and Eloina Prati dos Santos (Brazil). There is no doubt that the results of this research will be just as insightful and impactful as all of the other work she has been involved in. 
Conclusion:
         Luise von Flotow is someone who puts her full effort into everything she does. Her work speaks for itself and she continues to be someone at the forefront of her field, sharing her well-researched thoughts and ideas with anyone interested. A student, professor, researcher, translator and of course, a parent, Luise only continues to push harder and dig deeper, paving a path for those who follow. 
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