Hanafi Hadjeres is a truly international member of Editors Canada. He was born in Algeria, completed a BA in English Language and Literature as well as further studies in South African literature and history, and later taught business English at the Ecole Supérieure de Commerce in Algiers. He subsequently moved to New York City, where he now lives, to work as a French-language verbatim reporter at the United Nations from 1994 to 2003. In 2004, he joined the Official Records Editing Section where he ensured that the French version of UN resolutions and decisions remained faithful to the original English version.
Hanafi retired from his UN work in 2017 and joined Editors Québec in 2020. “I already knew about this association, but I was not really involved in its activities,” he says. That changed when he joined the marketing and communications committee and provided translation work for the Hire an Editor campaign, LinkedIn announcements and The Editors’ Weekly blog.
“Human contact with fellow professionals is very enriching,” Hanafi says, although he admits, “it is not always easy to coordinate with other volunteers who live far apart.” Online gatherings help to make up for that. He has participated in many virtual meetings of La Vigne des réviseurs.
Hanafi’s interests reflect his cosmopolitan lifestyle. He loves film, including Hitchcock movies, as well as a wide range of musical genres and biographies of historical figures. Despite his appreciation of New York, he loves to escape by taking walks by the sea or visiting rural areas. “Vermont, which I discovered a few months ago, is my dream destination,” he says. And despite retirement, he adds, “I will do my best to bring my modest contributions to improve the visibility of French within Editors Canada.”
The featured volunteer recognizes the contributions of our dedicated people who keep Editors Canada going. Volunteers are the backbone of the association, and we are grateful for the many members and affiliates who answer the call when help is needed.
Want to make a difference in your association? Find out more about volunteering for Editors Canada.
~S. Robin Larin