Hi, nice to meet you!

I'm Susan Mahmody aka Dutchess ♚

I've always been captivated by the intricate dance of words, cultures, and stories. As a passionate translator, language aficionada, and devoted bibliophile, my life revolves around the beauty of communication and the art of expression.

Other than that, I’m a yogi, runner, nature-lover, sustainability advocate, cat mom, tea & chocoholic.

Born and raised in Vienna, Austria with a bicultural and bilingual background (Austrian-Persian), concepts such as language and cultural sensitivity have always been part of my life.

I graduated in Scandinavian Studies (MA) and Dutch Studies (PhD) at the University of Vienna/Austria. Title of my dissertation: "The role of the transculturality in intertextual references in the work of Kader Abdolah" (a Dutch author of Iranian origin).

As a university assistant and lecturer for Dutch and literature at the Universities of Vienna and Graz, I immersed into the Dutch and Flemish language and culture even more.

My translation journey began in 2006, and I founded my first translation company in 2011 (Mahmody Language Services). In 2019, it was time for a rebranding: Dutchess was born!

Moving to the beautiful Kempen region in Flanders, Belgium marked the (preliminary) final destination of my linguistic journey.