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WELCOME one and all - I'm Claire and I host the Sparkle on Substack community and paid membership here. I like in Northumberland, UK by the coast. We have pet chickens, a slow lived life and two children. I speak very little french and spanish too and love to listen to all the languages. Thank you for your generous shares - this thread is such magic!!! ✨

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I love the map! And America always wins for readership lol.

I am based in western Canada and my main pub is read across 50 US states and 91 countries 😮😮

13% of American readers are also in California. They love their Substacking!

My top 5 countries are US, UK, Canada, Australia, and India.

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I’m from the Netherlands, I started writing in Dutch, because someone’s got to do it right? But recently I added an “English version” button where you can read my post in English (translated by ChatGPT and checked by myself where possible ;-)).

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Hoi Hilda - I’m living in Delft but my Dutch has gotten rusty these last few years. Curious to check your Substack in Dutch!

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Hoi Susan, leuk! Altijd welkom voor de Nederlandse of de Engelse versie ;-)

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Hi. I am Estonian living in Estonia. I learned English at school and then it was my work language for more than two decades.

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Terje, greetings from Finland! 🌞

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Hi, I’m from the UK and for a change currently living here too! I was just looking at my subscriber map yesterday, Claire, and was amazed to discover The Mindful Writer is being read in 71 countries. Sadly I’m not bi-lingual and apart from English only have very basic French.

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I'm living in New Zealand and always keen to find other writers in my neck of the woods 😊

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I just moved from Canada to Southeast Asia - currently Thailand (where I lived previously), possibly Cambodia in the future (where I’ve never been).

I’d love to find some Arabic substacks (I lived in Egypt previously and used to be an English-to-Arabic translator).

Such a fun thread, Clare!

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*Meant Arabic-to-English translator.

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I am french, I live un Bordeaux and I hope that Substack will add a filter « language « , because sometimes I am looking for francophone newsletters, and sometimes I am glad to read anglophone ones. I would like to choose my search

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That's a great idea! I read Geraldine Dormoy's De beaux lendemains and a few others. A plus

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founding

I’m in Aotearoa New Zealand 🇳🇿 ❤️

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A Dutch friend of mine lives there, too!

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Hii from The Netherlands!! I have been writing in English for 2 years now. My German is also pretty strong, Spanish more basic. But still, one day, I will definitely call Spain my home. 😇 Many of my readers are from the UK, only a few from The Netherlands. Australia, Canada and the US are big, too. And Sweden for some reason. I love writing in English and being able to reach all these lovely people around the world! 🥰

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Hey Shirley! Great to see more people based in the Netherlands! But I really need to practice my Dutch ☺️ what’s your Substack about?

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How do you know from where are your readers on Substack ?

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author

See post- in your settings in stats then subscriber report lovely.

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I'm moving my blog/newsletter/toolkits to Substack this Summer, so there's nothing there yet. But I write about (and create tools for) applying the practice of self-compassion to your everyday life so you can get out of your head and into a more easeful, joyful & authentic life. This is my blog right now if you're curious about my writing. 😁

https://www.moreselfcompassion.com/en/blog/

Dutch is a hard language to learn - I admire you even trying! If you ever have a language-specific question, feel free to contact me - I work as a Dutch copywriter and editor and I just love thinking about language. 🤗

Your Substack looks like the perfect place to go to get your creative juices flowing again. I will take a closer look when I have a little more headspace. 😊

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Melbourne Australia

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I'm Nigerian, living in Norway. I grew up speaking and writing in Hausa and English. Now I am learning Norwegian.

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Hi Maryam, greetings from Finland!

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Hi Nani, thanks for the warm greeting from Finland. I hope you're enjoying the sun ☀️

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Thanks so much Claire for the mention! I loved our little chat about this!

Physically I split my time between Italy and England, although I feel I want to explore more of the world to see what hidden beauties I have yet to discover 🥰

I love to study cultures and although I have a bilingual publication, 🇮🇹🇬🇧, I am studying other languages too 🤩☺️☺️

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I am French-Cameroonian based in Southern Italy. I am fluent in French, English, and Italian. I call Italy home, though I lived in Germany and the UK, too.

I chose to write in English because I want more people to read about Black Europeans. I would translate to French and Italian if I had time, as though ChatGPT is great for translations. I don't feel it convey well a writer's feelings, personality.

If you write in French or Italian, please send your newsletter this way.

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Hi, I'm a wandering Northumbrian! I've lived in 9 different countries and learned 6 more languages, to varying degrees of fluency. I sometimes sprinkle a few words into my posts. Currently living in Slovenia, small green heart of Europe. 🇸🇮😍

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Hi everyone. I am from Glasgow in Scotland. Currently live in Dubai. I speak 6 languages all learned as an adult- French, Spanish, Italian, Burmese, currently learning Gaelic and I write in English as I want to be creative in my mother tongue. I used to write a lot of bi or tri lingual poems when I lived in Central America. 🙌🏻

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I’m in the U.K. too, in Twickenham in SW London. 👋

I love how Substack is such a global community. I am read in 51 countries! 🤯🌍

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I am from Barcelona and my Substack is both in English and Catalan since they are the languages I do business in and my readership/clients know and love that.

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Sunny Saffron Walden (Essex/Cambridge border) in the UK

Like you I'm fascinated by where we all are living and how interconnected we can be here.

Long may it last.

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Jun 22Liked by Claire Venus

I am Danish but I have lived in England since 2005. Fluent in Danish and English, with reasonable Italian, and a few other European languages to varying degrees. 🤓 I write in English because it's the language I use every day, and more people read English than Danish. 😁 And after living abroad for so long, my written Danish feels a bit rusty, why did no one tell me that would happen? 😂😭

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It happened to me with Italian when I left Italy. So weird isn’t it!!

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So weird! And sometimes I have to think really hard to remember every day words in Danish too! 😭😂😂

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Yes, my German feels so rusty…but I never liked my mother tongue much, so I think my brain was only too happy to forget about it 😄 It feels exceedingly awkward and stiff, trying to write or speak German…😝

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Great that you found another language that you prefer! 😀 German was not my favourite language in school but I guess it is useful to know a bit. 🙃

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Yes!!! Same! Now that I spend more time in Italy I have the same issue in both languages 😅 It happens that I freeze in the middle of a conversation trying hard to find the word I want to say 🤭😂

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Me too! 😂 When I have been in Denmark for a bit I always have to adjust when I come back to England. 🙃

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Yeah, it’s nice to see I’m not the only one ☺️ God Natt 🥰

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Jun 22Liked by Claire Venus

I’m in Vermont, but am writing about my life (with my artist parents) in Park Slope Brooklyn and SoHo Manhattan. I love the subscriber map! I’m a newish stack and am amazed to find so much of my Substack growth is from the UK.

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Jun 22·edited Jun 22Liked by Claire Venus

Hi, I'm Victoria (Chinese, first-generation UK). After 18 relocations to 10 countries, I live in the north of England.

I'm a big Francophile after spending my third year of University working in Sophia Antipolis, near Antibes, France—many moons ago. I did my MBA half in France, half in the UK. So, my second language is French (France) with some Montreal-Canadian French mixed in. I lived in Switzerland the longest time, so far. Twice in Brussels.

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I’m back in German after spending 5 ish years in London. I write in English because that’s my main language these days. I speak multiple languages or should I say i understand many? I’m not fluent in more than 2 but have a few I could add to the selection 😅

I chose not to write in German as most Germans that would read my publication speak English

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I'm in northern Bosnia and Herzegovina near Banja Luka. I have been here for just over 20 years. Wouldn't live anywhere else. Honestly. I write in English but can get by with the local languages. There are 3 (but to be honest so so similar) Serbian, Croatian and Bosnian.

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I'm from the UK and would love to live in France or Spain for part of the year - my Spanish and French are both basic though, so that would need to change!

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Hi, I’m French but I’ve lived in England for over 2 decades so my English is more fluent than my French. I wouldn’t have the patience to try to translate my essays to French 😂

I have thought about using Chat GTP for translation which I think is okay for short form writing like social media posts but personally wouldn’t use it for long form. I think my own writing voice wouldn’t come through for the reader. Perhaps I’m wrong ☺️ maybe I should experiment with it.

What are your experiences of using AI to translate your writing?

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Oh and London is definitely where I call home. I have so much love for this city!

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Jun 22Liked by Claire Venus

Greetings from sunny Southern California! And yes, we love you here, Claire! 🌞🥰

Traveling outside of the U.S. is definitely on my bucket list and I look forward to one day making that happen! ✈️

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I Hope you will document your travel🤩

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Will do! 🩷

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I am in Dublin, Ireland. My partner is from Rome so we spend a lot of time in Italy, but Dublin is home ☘️

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Jun 22Liked by Claire Venus

I'm originally from the UK but now I live in Northern Italy. I also spent many years in South Africa - a country with 11 official languages. I write in English and speak bad Italian. I dream about one day being able to tell stories, both oral and written, in Italian and connecting more with the people geographically close to me. For now, it's wonderful that I can connect in my own language via platforms like this.

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🐨Aussie here, living in the Netherlands🌷

So fluent in three languages including Spanish 💃🏻 ….Though my grammar is all over the place so I’ll stick to writing in English. But I would really love to learn to speak in French 🥐

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What a wonderfully international community you have Claire!

I have lived in Bristol in the South West of the UK for the past 15 years. It's a lovely city surrounded by beautiful countryside, but being from Devon I am always missing the (proper) coast - the Bristol Channel just doesn't cut it when it comes to beaches.

Would love to know if there are any fellow Sparkle members in Bristol...we have a wonderful creative community here but I can't think of anyone I know who writes on Substack ☺️

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Hi Charlie! Almost Bristol, not quiet, I'm writing from Swindon. I'm originally from Slovakia, but met my one ❤️ love here

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Jun 22Liked by Claire Venus

Greetings from Philadelphia, PA, USA!

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I’m from West Chester, but live in London. Love to see Philadelphians on here! Look forward to reading your stuff.

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Jun 23Liked by Claire Venus

Cool, thanks Suzanne! Hope London is treating you well.

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I am Australian living in Guatemala! I'm a far way off writing in Spanish but I definitely intend to start writing about the little things that happen during a day in a bilingual household, watching my four year old navigate his English and Spanish, how my partner and I watch tv at night, the subtitles, how we have to pause our shows and explain to each other certain phrases and slang, depending on what language we're watching the show in. My partner is Spanish speaking English as a second language and forces himself to watch shows in English, without the Spanish dub. Any other mamas raising bilingual Spanish / English kiddies here and navigating a Spanish / English relationship?

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Hello from the Philippines! 🇵🇭

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Jun 22Liked by Claire Venus

Hey everyone! I’m a Finn-Greek photographer and writer from Finland! So amazing to see so many people outside US. ☺️

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I live right outside of Boston now, but am originally from New Jersey and spent time in Denver and San Francisco after college before settling back on the East Coast!! So cool to see where everyone on here is from :)

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Jun 27Liked by Claire Venus

I'm Irish, but lived more of my life in the UK, now living in the South Island of New Zealand.

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Jun 25Liked by Claire Venus

Hi, I'm Emma.

I live in the UK, I'm English/Irish born and bred in Birmingham UK, although Bristol has been home for nearly 25 years.

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Jun 24Liked by Claire Venus

I’m from the U.S i would love to live in London or New York 💕💕😊

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I love seeing where everyone is from! Travelling is my greatest love ❤️

I've been living in Northern Thailand for the past 8 years, but I'm originally from Canada.

It's fun to see where my readers are! Most in the US, and I think last I checked we're in 21 countries which is super exciting to think about!

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I didn’t know there was a map…how fun!

I just launched Tea Time in the Mystic Corner yesterday, so no subscribers but one so far; I am from Northern Germany, but have been an ex-pat in Ireland, and now in the States (currently Sedona, AZ) for the past three decades; I write in English, because I love English like I never loved German, and by now, my grasp of proper German vocabulary and grammar is a pretty sad & sorry affair…😄

I am happy to join this international Substack tribe ❤️ Than you for all your beautiful advice & care on here, Claire!

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I feel so boring just being based in the UK, with all these amazing locations! Fascinating to see the range of places people write/read from. I hope to live by the sea one day, whichever country I’m in! Once I can find out how to do that with work…. 🌊

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I’m in Charlotte, NC and would LOVE to meet others stackers who are here.

I’m going to Raleigh in a couple weeks and would love to meet anyone there as well.

Basically, I’d love to meet some local stackers:-)

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I’m just across the Irish Sea from you in Northern Ireland and, though I’d love to be able to, I cannot speak any other languages.

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I’m in Brisbane Australia

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Hello all, I am a Londoner born and bred and I am still here, having moved all of about 5 miles from where I grew up! And although London is very much home and where I feel deeply rooted, there are a number of other places I feel I have a soul connection with. My largest readership is the UK, followed by the US (13% in Cali!), then Canada, Australia and Ireland. I love that I am able to nurture good friendships with people all over the globe via Substack, it is something I was not expecting at all! xx

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I live in New Zealand but I'm originally from Belgium. Native language is Dutch but writing in English 😊

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Anyone else here in Germany? I’m a born and raised Londoner now living in Bavaria - quite the shift! I’d love to know if anyone else is in the Munich / Bavaria region?

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I'm from Oregon, but I'm volunteering in Greece currently 😄

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I’m in Chicago, Il! California is my top state for my publication as well. It’s also read across 16 countries which is wild to me as a small independent newsletter.

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