PERSONAL INFORMATION
• Place and date of birth: Kingston, Jamaica. 18 June 1953; Nationality: English (UK)
• Languages: English; Italian: fluent; French and Spanish: basic and read
• Computer: Microsoft Office and graphics programs
• Personal interests and activities: Appaloosa horses; writing (short stories, blog(s) http://rallisonpaintings.blogspot.com); painting

PROFESSIONAL EDUCATION
• 2001 Certificate of natural sciences, Open University (UK)
• 1989 Course in copy editing, New York
• 1975–76 Accredited Bachelor of Fine Arts based on studies in Journalism at Ryerson Polytechnical Institute, Toronto, Canada. Courses in political science, economics and philosophy; and
• 1970–1974 Diploma (Honours) Ontario College of Art, Toronto, Canada, courses in creative writing, theatre, history of art, drawing, painting and printing processes.
Primary and Secondary School:
• 1960–1965 Riddlesworth Hall, Norfolk, UK
• 1965–1968 St James’ West Malvern. O levels including: Art, English, Geography, History and Biology
• 1968–1969 Servite Convent of the Assumption, Brown’s Town, Jamaica. A level Art, Zoology, English and Current Affairs. On the school team for televised inter-schools quiz show.


CURRENT SITUATION Am relaunching my editing and translation activities after taking time out to pursue my interest in raising and training Appaloosa horses. During this period (June 2007 to the present) I have completed editing jobs for FAO and have illustrated a cook book. Am translating short stories from Italian and researching for a radio programme (a personal project).


PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE (25 years experience in text creation and editing).
Toronto, Canada 1974 – 1980: In 1974 participated in the setting up of a children’s book publishing cooperative Kids Can Press. Wrote The Travels of Ms Beaver and The Green Harpy at the Corner Store, the Yak. The Canadian Women’s Press re published The Travels of Ms Beaver and published sequels Ms Beaver goes West and Ms Beaver Travels East. James Lorimar published The Pillow. During this period also worked at the Toronto Children’s Bookstore. Took part in the rebirth of storytelling and was a founding member of The Toronto School of Storytelling. As a storyteller gave talks to librarians and schoolteachers on this ancient art form. Through the Writer’s Union of Canada read my books to children at schools across Ontario.

In December 1980 travelled to New York to study with a Sufi Teacher. Supported myself working at Food, a restaurant in Greenwich Village, where my colleagues were actors and dancers. Became interested in the theatre and Contact Improvisation a dance technique. Attended life drawing classes and kept a diary. July to September 1981 in New Mexico with the Sufi Foundation. Then returned to Canada by Greyhound bus.

1981 in Toronto, Canada continued reading and speaking engagements under the sponsorship of the Ontario Arts Council and the Writer’s Union. After the sudden death of my father in June 1982 went to Jamaica. July to August 1982 was again in New Mexico at the Sufi Foundation, where I participated in community life establishing a vegetable garden, baking bread and cooking meals. Transcribed and edited taped talks on Sufism in a Western context.

1983 While working towards an exhibition of my paintings in Jamaica my mother fell seriously ill (May) and I was called upon to manage the family cattle ranch for two years. Continued to paint and arranged exhibitions in Kingston, at Bolivar Galleries. One of my works was in a group exhibition at the Jamaica National Gallery. Also worked part time as assistant to a photographer working for a travel agent.

On return to New York, USA late 1985 I took a course in word processing. (1986) and was employed as office assistant or typist in short-term and temporary assignments. Enrolled in a course in children’s book writing and illustration at The New School and in a French language course at Alliance Français. Independent studies of Shingon Buddhism.

May 1986–September 1987 As a temporary assistant worked in the Africa Bureau, UNDP (United Nations Development Programme) typing consultant’s reports. Briefly worked in the office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR September to November 1987) as administrative assistant. Left the UN environment to assist friends from Taiwan expand their silk flower business (May Arts), as sales representative at craft fares.

January 1988 – November 1991 Employed by Unicef (United Nations Children’s Fund) in the Information Division. Then Unicef Greeting Card Operations as assistant to the Chief Art and Design. Following this I worked with Special Events and New Initiatives on the Danny Kaye Song Contest, which was staged in Europe. In my free time attended courses in leadership development, acting and play writing at the Actors’ Institute. Two of my one act plays were produced (off Broadway): Roses and Mums (1990). Exhibited and sold my paintings privately and at the Actor’s Institute. Confirmed at the Episcopalian Church of St Thomas in New York.

Rome, Italy, September 1991 Moved to Italy to work at the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) on a three month contract as editorial assistant in the preparation of documents for the Summit on Rural Women held in Geneva 1991. I then went to work with the International Press Service (IPS) in Rome. Resigned from IPS to prepare for exhibitions of my paintings in Orbetello and Rome.

Since 1993 my main activity has been in text creation, editing of documents in English, research (English and Italian) and translation of various texts from Italian into English. The principle clients include:

emmebi diagnostica artistica s.r.l. – Rome
• Translation from Italian into English of text for the 12 educational panels on research on and restoration of the painting by Caravaggio of Saint Frances in meditation, Carpineto, church of San Pietro, and its copy, on deposit at the Church of Santa Maria della Concezione, Rome. The panels comprised the educational section of the exhibition: Images of the Divine, National Museum of Archaeology, La Valletta (Malta), 30 September – 30 November 2007.

FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations) (Rome, Italy). Employed by FAO, Emergency Operations as their reports editor from 1997 to 2000. Since then have worked as a freelance editor on an ongoing basis. Among publications edited:
• UNASYLVA, a magazine on the state of the world’s forests
• Livestock’s Long Shadow, book on the impact of livestock on Global Warming
• Training Manual on Preparation of Production for Export
• Conservation Agriculture in Kazakhstan and Mongolia
• Honeybee Diseases and Enemies;
• Breaking Ground, present and future perspectives for rural women in agriculture
• Editing and proof reading of two volumes on Hydrogeology in Iraq

ICstat English editing of documents concerning the agricultural census in candidate countries to the European Union.

IPGRI(International Plant Genetic Research Institute, Rome, Italy) Compilation and editing of reports: Allium, Prunus, Malus, Legumes, Wheat, Noble Hardwoods, Strategy on Forest Genetic Resources. Illustration of cover for Report of the Working Group on Allium.

ISTAT (Rome, Italy) Translation of text Italian to English on computer programs used by statistics experts and in work contracts.

MEDSTAT II (Italy) English editing of documents concerning migration statistics.

MINTEL Intermittent employment as a shopper for market research firm. Involved in buying selected products marked “new” in various supermarkets; translated package contents from Italian into English and submitted evaluation of products sampled.

SHELL FOUNDATION, (UK) Researched background and created database on humanitarian organizations (United Nations and non governmental) and their partners supplying heating and cooking equipment and providing water to populations undergoing states of emergency. Assignment required cold calls across the globe and telephone interviews of some very busy people.