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Jorinde Singh - MA Publishing
Internship at ILO in Geneva
I started the MA in publishing at Oxford Brookes as a complete publishing novice. I had a background in library science but almost no knowledge about the publishing world. This changed rapidly over the first months of the course. At that point I felt confident in applying for an internship with the International Labour Organization in Geneva. After an interview at the London Book Fair, I got the news that I had been selected
Posted on 29 Mar 2012 around 6pm
Filed Under Publishing • Publishing Work Experience
Jenny Peebles - MA Publishing
Jenny Peebles
Internship at ILO in Geneva
I came to the MA in Publishing at Oxford Brookes from a background in the arts sector, and although I had worked on numerous publications, I had no formal training in the skills required in today's publishing industry. My twelve months in Oxford learning from the excellent tutors – and working with a brilliant bunch of peers – changed that considerably. The opportunity to intern at the International Labour Organisation (ILO) in Geneva came just after the half-way point in the MA, at which time a lot of the students are thinking about their first professional steps after the course. I was interviewed at the London Book Fair in April and by the end of August was on my way to Geneva with my fellow intern, Jorinde. Being an intern with another student from Brookes is actually a great way to quickly feel at ease, even if, as was our case, we hadn't had much chance to work together on the MA. Having someone with whom to find your feet in the first few weeks works very well, and when one of you can't remember a crucial shortcut in InDesign, the other can often step into the breach.
Posted on 29 Mar 2012 around 6pm
Filed Under Publishing • Publishing Work Experience
Jonathan Roscoe - MA Book History and Publishing Culture
After many years of working in publishing in a marketing capacity, I was keen to look at the discipline from an academic point of view. I'd considered doing a Publishing MA in the past, but it felt a little too close to my day job, so when the Book History & Publishing Culture MA was offered in 2010 I jumped at the chance. In many ways it's my perfect postgraduate course because it enables me to mix publishing with other areas of academic study that really interest me, such as English Literature and Social History. Plus it also gave me the freedom to pursue academic interests of my own. By doing it on a part-time basis I've been able to combine it with continuing to work full-time in academic publishing, which has been hard work, but rewarding The staff have been excellent - supportive and helpful - especially as prior to starting I had been out of academia for a while. All in all it's been a great experience - the best of all possible worlds you might say.
Posted on 22 Mar 2012 around 3pm
Filed Under MA Book History And Publishing Culture
Ashley Hayden - MA Book History and Publishing 2011-12
I’m a 27 year old with a passion for books; after studying for a BA in Publishing at Oxford Brookes I knew I wanted to take this passion further. After spending three years working in the industry I decided to leave the rat race and go back to university. I had known since graduating in 2008 that I wanted to find a route back into academia and when I saw the MA in Book History and Publishing Culture advertised, I knew that this was my chance.
Posted on 22 Mar 2012 around 3pm
Filed Under MA Book History And Publishing Culture
Cathy Hurren - MA Book History & Publishing Culture 2011-13
I completed my undergraduate degree in publishing at Brookes in 2006 and thoroughly enjoyed it; I especially loved the module on the history and culture of publishing so when I discovered that it was possible to study an MA in book history I knew I had found exactly what I wanted to study next.
The MA is extremely interesting, covering print history in terms of cultural, economic and political aspects and provides opportunities to explore library archives and carry out studies in the areas you are most interested in. The course leader and visiting lecturers are highly knowledgeable, very supportive and full of enthusiasm for the subject.
Posted on 22 Mar 2012 around 3pm
Filed Under MA Book History And Publishing Culture
Laura Gibbons, MA Publishing
Like many other students, I had as my main motivation for taking the MA Publishing course at Oxford Brookes the aim of landing my first job in publishing. Oxford Brookes has excellent connections with the publishing industry and has such a brilliant reputation that a lot of publishers, such as Pearson Education, actively recruit students from the course.
Posted on 17 Feb 2012 around 11am
Filed Under Publishing Alumni
Marije de Bie, MA Publishing
Marije de Bie
Eight years after I finished my MA in Publishing at Oxford Brookes, I’m exactly where I dreamed of arriving when I started the course. The year after I returned to the Netherlands I started my career in publishing as a desk editor for a Dutch literary publishing house in Amsterdam. After three years I moved over to one of the most distinguished Dutch literary publishing houses, The Busy Bee (De Bezige Bij), and started working as a junior acquiring editor. In my present role, I take care of the translated fiction for our house together with another editor. As I read English, German, French and Italian, I try to acquire Dutch translation rights to the best novels published originally in those languages.
My year at Brookes was of great value, giving me an overview of the international publishing world, giving me insight into the daily work of all the departments in a publishing house, and teaching me practical skills for jobs in all these departments. One of the special aspects of the MA at Brookes is its international character. I’m still in touch with a lot of my fellow students all over the world, and some of them have become friends for life.
Posted on 26 Jan 2012 around 4pm
Filed Under Publishing Alumni
Femke Posthumus, BA Publishing
Before I came to Oxford as an exchange student on the BA programme, I had never been away from home for a long time. I had no idea what to expect, and it turned out to be incredible. My classmates and lecturers were incredibly welcoming and made me feel at ease from day one.
Posted on 17 May 2011 around 4pm
Filed Under Publishing Alumni
Kay Peddle - MA Publishing 2006 - wins Kim Scott Walwyn Prize 2011
Kay Peddle
Kay Peddle, the woman behind Bodley Head’s innovative Brain Shots audiobooks, was last week named the winner of the Kim Scott Walwyn Prize 2011. The accolade, which recognises the professional achievements of women in publishing, was announced by Prize Committee member Kate Jury at a ceremony at the Free Word Centre in Farringdon. Helen Fraser, former Managing Director of Penguin UK, delivered the keynote speech on women and success.
Born and raised in South Africa, Kay Peddle came to Britain in 2006 and studied for an MA in International Publishing at Oxford Brookes University. She graduated with Distinction and started her publishing career as a Marketing Assistant at Random House. In 2008, she moved into editorial and, as Assistant Editor at Vintage, conceived and produced the Bodley Head Brain Shots, which launched to great acclaim in 2009. The success of this industry-first series shows her ability to explore new formats and to respond to the fast-changing market with great agility and flair.
Posted on 12 May 2011 around 10am
Filed Under Publishing Alumni
Brianna Corbett - MA Publishing
Sally Hughes and Brianna Corbett
I decided to be part of the inaugural World Book Night in November 2010 when I saw a few friends posting the link on Facebook (yes, social media marketing works). I filled out the application and browsed the selection of 25 books chosen by a spectacular committee led by James Naughtie. The authors included Margaret Atwood, Kate Atkinson, Toni Morrison, Sarah Waters, David Mitchell, Yann Martel, Mark Haddon and more. It was hard to choose! I wrote my Major Project book for the Brookes MA on how marketing and design work together to add to and create a cultural landscape. During the research phase of this project, I was lucky enough to attend The Bookseller's Book Cover Design Conference at the British Library in June, where I got to hear from professional cover designers, marketers and editors on the subject of design, from practicalities to social understanding. One title stood out that summer and its cover was praised. That book was One Day by David Nicholls.
Posted on 06 May 2011 around 9am
Filed Under Publishing Alumni