The 2025 Institute of Professional Editors Limited (IPEd) Student Prize has been awarded to Portia Abbott, a student in the Master of Writing and Publishing program at RMIT University.
Portia was awarded the prize for her essay “One book (doesn’t) fit all: Suggestions for more dyslexia-friendly print books”, an industry report on what makes print text more readable for those with dyslexia, with recommendations for readability.
The judges agreed that the analysis was engaging, comprehensive and well researched, with practical suggestions on how publishers can close the gap towards more accessible text.
“I am so thankful to IPEd for giving me the chance to share my report, and I feel so honoured that my work was picked for this award!” Portia said.
Portia first heard about the IPEd Student Prize through her university, but it was only after delving into her research that she decided to submit her work.
“As a grown adult with dyslexia, I realised how few supports existed for dyslexic readers outside of the classroom,” she said.
“I thought the report was a great opportunity to learn more about dyslexia, and through that, also myself. As my research progressed, I moved from casual curiosity to a true passion as I realised how simple it would be to make print books more accessible for dyslexic readers, and yet how little awareness there was about the issue and its solutions.
“I hoped that if my report won, it might increase conversation in the publishing industry around dyslexia-friendly printing, as well as give some concrete advice that could be acted on right away.”
Karen Lee, CEO of IPEd said Portia’s work demonstrated the role of editors in shaping how we communicate.
“As the professional association for editors in Australia and New Zealand, IPEd champions editorial excellence and innovation. Portia Abbott’s work exemplifies the high standards and forward-thinking approach that will shape the future of publishing. We are proud to recognise her achievement and support the next generation of editors.”
Stephanie Holt AE, Chair of the IPEd Board added that Portia’s work highlighted the value of conversations about accessibility in the profession.
“Congratulations to Portia for winning this award in a highly competitive field. Her findings and recommendations will be of interest across the industry, and will advance the work IPEd does to improve accessibility in publishing.”
In their report, the judges noted that Portia’s entry focused on diversity and highlighted some of the gaps in the Australian publishing industry in catering for diverse audiences.
This is the kind of excellence and originality we are pleased to reward. The calibre of [Portia’s essay] goes beyond competent writing and editing, and shows insight and critical thinking about issues affecting the whole industry.
Overall, Portia Abbott’s work exhibited an impressive thoroughness of research with its mixture of qualitative and quantitative methods, together with the accuracy of the author’s editing and proofreading of their work, thus embracing the nature of this editorial industry prize.
The judges awarded honourable mentions to the three other entrants who were shortlisted for the IPEd Student Prize:
- Jessica Connell-Gunter (Curtin University) for her editorial letter to the author of a fiction manuscript
- Josephine Parker (Curtin University) for her editorial letter to the author of a manuscript
- Victoria Zhang (RMIT) for her essay “Why manga can fill the demand for LGBTQIA+ representation for young Australian readers”.
IPEd extends warm congratulations to Portia for her win and to Jessica, Josephine, and Victoria for the high quality of their shortlisted work.
Portia’s entry was submitted by RMIT course coordinator Zoe Dzunko and will be published on the IPEd website in the coming weeks.
IPEd extend special thanks to the judges for generously giving their time to assess the entries and also thanks the Copyright Agency for their generous support of IPEd’s Student Prize through their Cultural Fund.
IPEd looks forward to celebrating its prize winners, including Portia, at the 2025 IPEd Conference in Adelaide from 23 July to 25 July.
About the IPEd Student Prize
The IPEd Student Prize acknowledges excellent work by a student of editing. It is designed to enhance the profession of editing and support student work on issues relevant to the industry.
It is awarded annually for a piece of work submitted as part of a tertiary qualification in editing, publishing, or another discipline with a focus on editing.
The prize is open to any tertiary-level student enrolled in an editing or publishing course at a New Zealand or Australian tertiary institution.
Entries for the 2026 Prize will open in September 2025.