Salzkammergut English provides content and editing services in English, in Austria. It’s owned and run by Mairi Bunce, a freelance editor, content writer and English teacher
Let’s start with my name.
‘Mairi’ always looks like it has too many vowels. Fortunately, it’s easy to pronounce. Just say ‘marry’ and you’ll be close enough.
My name, like the rest of me, is from Scotland. I was born in Aberdeen, spent my childhood in the highlands and the northern isles, and eventually landed in St Andrews where I studied English Literature at Scotland’s oldest university.
Like many other students, I spent time working in St Andrews’ thriving tourism and gastronomy industry. I was a potwasher, a housekeeper, a waitress, a receptionist, and eventually the marketing manager of a hotel a few hundred meters from The Old Course.
But in 2014, it was time for a change.
In July, I went to Oxford and became a CELTA qualified teacher of English as a foreign language.
In August, I packed 23 boxes of books into a white van and moved to Vienna.
In September, I started learning German and settled into my new life as a teacher.
Alongside lessons, I picked up writing and proofreading jobs from the people I was meeting. Lots of people make fun of literature degrees because they don’t lead you straight to a career, but the mix of jobs I had could definitely be described as ‘Englishing’.
What I do
Writing
My original business in Austria was ‘Vienna English Copy.’ I was a native English speaking proofreader, editor and writer for charities, businesses, students, and professors.
In 2021, my family moved to Bad Ischl in Oberösterreich and Vienna English Copy became Salzkammergut English. In the beautiful Austrian alps, I decided to take everything I’d learned as a freelancer in Vienna, combine it with my history as a hotel marketer, and work with businesses in tourism and gastronomy to create content that makes them stand out to their English-speaking visitors.
They enjoy more custom, I get to do what I love, and we get to make more people feel at home when they visit this spectacular corner of the world.
And alongside my work for local businesses, I’m a regular remote content writer for agencies and private clients on both sides of the Atlantic. Check out my portfolio for a full list of my most recent projects.
Editing and proofreading
I write something every day. Blog posts for clients, social media posts, and stories that I make just for fun. I also love to work with writers to make their words the best they can be.
If you want to work with an articulate, approachable editor who’s used to the joys and challenges of working in two languages, I’m your person.
- I’ve worked with publishers in the UK and Austria on books for academics and the mass market.
- I’ve audited content for charities, NGOs, and communities aiming to raise up women and girls.
- And I’ve worked within the worlds of finance, mortgages, and healthcare to bust jargon and empower readers to advocate for themselves.
So let’s work together to find your voice.
Teaching English
When I’m not working with texts, I still teach English as a foreign language. I love it for the same reason I love to write and edit.
- I get to solve problems and help people say what they mean.
- I get to think about the strange and wonderful words that exist in English and explain exactly why one might fit while the other is very wrong.
- I get to watch people growing in confidence and becoming themselves in a new language.
There’s no better feeling than seeing a student make a joke in English for the first time.