Homepage for Nicole Ruskell

Journalism
Storytelling
Luxury Translation

JOURNALISM

Reporting from the French & Italian Riviera

Professional French journalist and Ambassador of the Côte d'Azur, I cover news and events across the French Riviera and the Principality of Monaco. From the Cannes Film Festival, to the flower fields of Grasse, I have written about the most popular events in the region. I particularly enjoy interviewing chefs, artisan food producers, innovative educators and local artists -- the people who make the French Riviera the fabulous place that it is. I also enjoy interviewing local businesses for advertorials, telling the story of the person behind the business.

My articles can found in Riviera Insider Magazine, Palaces, Dolce Design, Monaco Economie, HelloMonaco, Italy Magazine and Bon Vivant Mag.

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TRANSLATIONS

Luxury Translation

As a native English speaker and trained journalist, my expertise in translation goes beyond the basic word-for-word exchange. Professional and luxury publications need a certain finesse to express the same sentiment in English. Translating from French, in particular, is difficult because the natural poetry of the language doesn't make sense in English. It therefore needs re-writing in a professional context geared towards the discerning readers of your target market.

I have translated texts for HelloMonaco, Palaces, Michael Zingraff catalogues, Archiman cosmetics and the Hotel Martinez.

If you need your website, magazine, menu, manuscript or professional material translated to high standard of English, please contact me to discuss.

To contact me for translations, click here.

FOUNDER

Bon Vivant Mag

A brand new website for those who live well!
Bon Vivant Mag brings you the best of what's going on in the French Riviera and beyond. From great restaurants & bars, to art exhibitions and interviews with business owners, find the stories that help make you a Bon Vivant!

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Riviera Insider

From 2018 - 2021, I ran the
#1 English-language luxury lifestyle magazine for the French Riviera. It covered everything from art and culture to gourmet and all the events not to miss. Post-Covid, the magazine was discontinued in December of 2021.

See portfolio for links to online issues

EDITING

Copy and Developmental Editing

From manuscripts and academic articles, to online features and news reports. I specialise in editing non-native English text, careful to maintain the author's original voice, and can tackle everything from simple copy-editing to intensive, structural and developmental editing. Being tri-lingual aids in editing non-native English articles. This gives me a better understanding of sometimes strange grammatical layout or the point lost within a complex sentence structure. I have restructured articles originally written in French, Russian, and Chinese.

My training in copyright and media law is very useful in editing online news content, to assure stories are free from potential lawsuits over copyright infringement or defamation.

Publications I have edited for include: HelloMonaco, Riviera Insider, Alternative Spirituality & Religion Review, Alternative Spirituality, The Wuhan Journal of Cultic Studies and other academic manuscripts.

To contact me for editing, click here.

PERSONAL PROJECTS

The Nourish Report

The Nourish Report is a new website devoted to traditional, organic and biodynamic food production. We cover news and current events on food policy, EU agricultural legislation, environmental news and updates on organic regulation. In addition, we feature an 'Artisan Spotlight', showcasing traditional artisans producing goods according to ancient traditions. We interview farmers, winemakers, cheese makers, traditional confectioners and more.
Stay up to date with the Nourish Report Twitter feed: @NourishReport

Food News

Featuring articles on food policy across the world, focusing on the latest EU legislation. Topics covered will include agricultural policy, recent food and nutrition research, organic farming news, and more.

Environment

From global warming to the widespread use of pesticides and the record loss of bees, wildlife and flora, this section will cover new developments, scientific findings and those making a difference.

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Artisan Spotlight

Interviews with farmers and artisans producing products according to age-old traditions. Here we honour their work, sacrifice, and dedication to natural practices that honour tradition and the earth.

Wellness Podcast

"Nourishing Conversation with Nicole & Christine" was a podcast project in 2022 to build connections within the health & wellness community in the South of France and beyond. Our mission was to bring together like-minded individuals who share our passion for healthy and balanced living, by nourishing the mind, body, soul and the planet.

With a background in holistic nutrition and a certified Culinary Nutrition Expert, I join Christine, a registered nutritional therapist and Pilates and Barre instructor. Christine is also a specialist in natural hormone health. Together, we will discuss important nutrition, ways to stay healthy and balanced (balance includes fun and enjoyment!) while interviewing people who have created businesses in the field.

From organic micro greens to Kombucha and biodynamic wine to healthy desserts, we'll bring you a fascinating group of natural entrepreneurs!

Listen on Acast below, or on Spotify, Apple and Deezer.

MY CREED

Travel, health & wellness, organic food,
and the preservation of the planet.

These are the topics I feel passionately about. Whether explaining a revolt in Sicily, reporting from the UK's general election, spreading the word about devastating floods in the Cinque Terre, covering charity refugee organisations in the French Riviera, or just sharing Italian recipes, I bring my unique perspective on European current events.

I have a Master's degree in journalism, certification in Culinary Nutrition, and numerous interviews with artisan natural food growers, I recently started a health & wellness podcast with a Certified Nutritionist, Pilates and Extend Barre instructor, Christine Kjeldbjerg called, "Nourishing Conversation with Nicole & Christine".

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CERTIFICATION

Culinary Nutrition Expert

This 13-week program focuses on the nutrition of food, understanding ingredients, creating healthy recipes and provides the tools for getting out in the world to share this great knowledge. Even though I have studied nutrition for most of my life, I found this program educational, rewarding and fun. I highly recommend it to anyone who loves cooking and is interested in living a healthier life.

Learn more about the CNE program

ACADEMIC WORK

International conferences

2016 Conference on Frontier Topics in Religious Studies, China

2015 Political Studies Association Conference, UK

Working with Academic Publishing has combined my research on Media studies and religious studies to discuss how the media interacts and reports on various New Religious Movements. I presented a paper on media strategies, propaganda, and current challenges for journalists at Wuhan University in China.

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My interest in democracy and Italian politics led me to present a paper with the Italian Politics Specialist Group at the PSA conference in Brighton, UK. I presented a paper on new media and social media's role in the future of democracy.

BLOGOSPHERE

Blogging an Italian life

In 2010, I started Cultural Comments, a blog devoted to my adventures in culture, food and curiosities I encountered in my daily life in Italy, and throughout Europe.

In 2011, the village of Vernazza, was devastated by a landslide after a day of intense torrential downpour. Severed from the rest of the world, I realised it was up to me to write about the tragedy. I continued to provide updates on the village's progress as they rebuilt. And thus began my path to journalism...