EdANZ welcomes everyone to 2021
by Caroline Simpson
Kia ora,
Welcome to 2021. New year’s resolutions are out and intentions are in. Have you set your business or professional intentions for the year? You won’t find any resolutions here. Instead, we intend to provide you with some great professional development opportunities and chances to catch up with fellow editors and develop your network.
The highlight of IPEd’s year will be the conference in June. I am thrilled it will be online because I am keen to hear what the presenters have to say and learn from their experiences. Of course, it would be even better to be there in person, but attending online is the next best thing. No FOMO for me. As an EdANZ committee member I will also be absorbing all I can of this different experience of attending the conference. The 2023 conference will be in Wellington, so we are already thinking about how to make it the best it can be.
This year for EdANZ is all about making ourselves known to editors and connecting with organisations who will benefit from the expertise of our members — or vice versa. If you have colleagues who you think would profit from IPEd membership, please point them to the membership page of our website. If you work for an organisation that would like to be kept in touch about editing in New Zealand and Australia, please let me or another committee member know who we should contact to start that relationship. The more this branch grows, the more we can do to help editors and editing in New Zealand.
Wishing you the best start to the year ahead and looking forward to seeing you in person or online.
Ngā mihi,
Caroline Simpson, EdANZ Branch President
edanz.president@iped-editors.org
New members
We are pleased to welcome new associate members Nanette Trewinnard and Debra Bradley.
Wellington catch-up meeting
Wednesday 2 December saw our third face-to-face meeting with a small group of us. It was largely a catch-up and get-to-know-each-other meeting.
We meet on the first Monday of every other month at 11am. Upcoming dates are 2 February and 6 April.
Auckland editors catch-up
The 12 December Auckland editors catch-up was held in person after the September one was held online. It’s a busy time of the year for us all so we were a select bunch. Nevertheless, an enjoyable hour or so was spent chatting about and comparing notes on editing matters (and non-editing matters) before the call of other responsibilities could no longer be ignored. See you next time.
EdANZ Christmas party
EdANZ celebrated a very successful 2020 with its first ever Christmas party. Twelve EdANZ members joined us on the evening of 14 December for a night of laughter, wine, fancy hats and a wonderful Christmas quiz, led by quizmaster extraordinaire, Claire Davis.
Team Santa’s Semicolons won the quiz in a close race. The Christmas hat competition was nearly unanimous, with Susi Bailey’s Christmas tree hat (made of real spruce branches) the clear winner.
Inaugural accreditation exam, Wellington, 5 December 2020
Saturday 5 December was a historic day for New Zealand editors. For the first time, the accreditation exam was held in New Zealand. Six editors took advantage of this and came to Wellington to sit it (well, one already lived there).
After a year of uncertainty as to whether the exam could be held at all, it seemed remarkable to be there in Clifton’s on the 28th floor of Majestic Towers. Luckily we sat with our back to the fantastic view of Wellington Harbour or we would never have completed the exam.
The three hours flew past with time sheets regularly being checked to make sure we were progressing according to plan. With the final checking done, we left the exam room to face the unreal world of coming weekends being free of study. We tried not to compare notes too much, but inevitably there were moments of ‘What did you do for …?’ and ‘How did you handle …?’ followed by ‘Oh, I didn’t even think of that!’
A post-exam dinner was organised at the Southern Cross café. Some Wellington editors came along to join in and so the evening was happily spent chatting and catching up. Six EdANZ committee members were present — the largest in-person meeting we have had so far — so a photo was taken to commemorate the moment.
We would like to thank the Accreditation Board and the many anonymous workers who make the accreditation system possible. The organisation for the 2020 exam was fraught, thanks to a certain virus that shall remain nameless, so we are doubly grateful.
Wellington editors at the post-exam dinner.
Future events
Wellington Editors’ Catch-Up
Date: Tuesday, 2 February 2021, 11am
Venue: Vic Books Kelburn, Easterfield Building 21 Kelburn Parade, Kelburn, Wellington
Cost: Free, but pay for own food and drink
The Wellington Editors Catch-up is held every two months on the first Tuesday of the month. All editors in the Wellington area, whether resident or visiting, are welcome to join us at Vic Books, Victoria University of Wellington, for this informal social event. This is your chance to get out of the house and meet other editors.
For more information please contact Elizabeth at elizabeth@galvinmcleod.co.nz.
Academic Zoom Hui Summer 2021 Edition
Date: 9 February 2021, 7.30pm
Cost: Registration is free for all IPEd members
Join EdANZ for the summer 2021 edition of our popular Zoom Hui. This informal discussion is for editors who work with academic clients, and will be led by Joan Gladwyn.
Places are strictly limited so book now to reserve your spot.
We will be starting a wait list for this event, so if you have missed out please contact our events manager Anne-Marie at events.edanz@iped-editors.org.
Zoom Hui Summer 2021 Edition – non-fiction, magazines and newspapers
Date: 11 February 2021, 7.30pm
Cost: Registration is free for all IPEd members
Join EdANZ for the summer 2021 edition of our popular Zoom Hui. This informal discussion is for editors who work with non-fiction, magazine and newspaper clients, and will be led by Kimberley Davis.
Places are strictly limited so book now to reserve your spot.
We will be starting a wait list for this event, so if you have missed out please contact our events manager Anne-Marie at events.edanz@iped-editors.org.
Book a place for the non-fiction, magazines and newspapers Zoom Hui.
Fiction and Poetry Hui
Date: 15 February 2021, 7.30pm.
Cost: Free for all IPEd members
Join EdANZ for the summer 2021 edition of our popular Zoom Hui. This informal discussion is for editors who work with fiction and poetry clients, and will be led by Marja Stack and Ryn Yee.
Topics include:
- Keeping information safe
- Managing client expectations
Places are strictly limited so book now to reserve your spot.
We will be starting a wait list for this event, so if you have missed out please contact our events manager Anne-Marie at events.edanz@iped-editors.org.
Zoom Hui Summer 2021 Edition – business and government
Date: 16 February 2021, 7.30pm
Cost: Registration is free for all IPEd members
Join EdANZ for the summer 2021 edition of our popular Zoom Hui. This informal discussion is for editors who work with business and government clients, and will be led by Meredith Thatcher.
Places are strictly limited so book now to reserve your spot.
We will be starting a wait list for this event, so if you have missed out please contact our events manager Anne-Marie at events.edanz@iped-editors.org.
Grammar refresher with Linda Nix
Dates: 20 February, 27 February and 6 March
Times: 1pm to 3pm AEDT/3pm to 5pm NZDT
Grammar underpins all good writing. This practical online workshop is suitable for practising writers and editors who want to brush up on the basics of grammar. Participants will learn the mechanics behind why and how words work together to produce meaning — and why sometimes they don’t work as well as they should. They will also learn how understanding grammar enables its use as a creative tool for both improving expression and achieving the desired effect.
It covers:
- parts of speech: how words function as individual units
- phrases and clauses: how groups of words work together in different ways
- sentences: how a main clause combines with phrases and other clauses to form a sentence, and the role of punctuation
- syntax: how the structure of grammatical components affects both meaning and effect.
Practical exercises use real-life examples of modern and historical writing drawn from a range of international sources and genres, including fiction, speeches, journalism and government texts.
The workshop is split over three sessions on consecutive Saturdays. Note that it is not suitable for those learning English as a new language.
About the presenter
Dr Linda Nix AE is chair of the IPEd Accreditation Board and an executive member of the Board of the New England Writers’ Centre. An experienced editor who has worked in the publishing industry for nearly 25 years, she regularly presents at industry events and runs workshops for both writers and editors.
Cost:
Member: NZ$190/AU$180
Non-member: NZ$250/AU$235
Concession: Student member, NZ$170/AU$160
Member of affiliates: NZ$220/AU$205