SA Annual Branch Meeting welcomes new faces and ideas
by Melanie Dankel
Since the last newsletter, Editors SA has hosted our Annual Branch Meeting (ABM), where we farewelled some committee members from 2020 and welcomed new faces to the group. Our ABM was capped off with an extremely thought-provoking talk by Noé Harsel, Chair of Writers Victoria, on the intersection of cultures in literature, inspired by her own heritage as a Jewish and Japanese woman.
Editors SA will host another book club meeting on 15 October, where members are encouraged to bring a recent read or an old favourite to share with the group. If it is anything like previous meetings, there will be plenty of robust discussion and a few new gems to discover.
Our annual Christmas dinner will move online for a trivia night via Zoom on 10 December with the delightful Louise Crawford. We hope to have a bit of fun, and maybe even win a few prizes. More details to come.
I thank Editors SA and IPEd for the wonderful experience of working with the committee organising events. I will be handing over to Alice Healy and Kirsty Smeaton to oversee our events for the coming year and I hope to see many of you attending.
New President’s report
But … you haven’t seen the last of me as I will be taking up the reins as Editors SA President for 2020–21.
Sincere thanks to Lauren Bevilacqua who led the committee through very strange and uncertain times this year. Her enthusiasm about working in different ways and looking to new forms of technology certainly prepared us to be more agile in our practices.
It has been a while since I held the office of President for a branch committee — 10 years, when we were still Editors Victoria in 2010, to be exact. Coincidentally, 2010 was a transitional year for Editors Victoria, when we embraced a new name (previously Society of Editors Victoria), a new logo and started to engage in discussions of what a united body might look like (the precursor to the structure we have today). And here we are in another transitional time in our post-COVID world, learning new ways to connect.
The landscape of IPEd and the branches have changed immeasurably since 2010, but there are plenty of familiar faces who have boundless energy, endless ideas, and enduring ideals in transforming the profession of editing.
I am excited about the move to online interaction — while somewhat limiting in some ways, it has been an eye-opener for us. (Does anyone miss face-to-face meetings where you could chat up the new members, hand them a glass of wine and coerce them onto the committee?) As a smaller branch without the reach of some of the larger states, we have connected with our interstate colleagues more readily and participated in the events they have hosted, opening up a new world of connections and professional development. Our regional members have also benefited from this change, which has made it easier for them to attend meetings that might have been too far to travel to in person. While we do not want this level of isolation to be upon us forever, we certainly appreciate some of the equalising attributes of Zoom meetings.
The one thing all committees have in common, though, is the need for volunteers. Our big ideas cannot take shape without the help of our members. We understand everyone is busy, but it has never been easier to join in from the comfort of your own home, and we promise not to coerce you into anything — even after a glass of wine. If you think you might want to be part of the committee or some small aspect of it, please email me at edsa.president@iped-editors.org.
Melanie Dankel is the Editors SA Branch President.
Welcome to new members
A warm welcome to our new professional members Karin Riederer, Mia Stephens and Jennifer Hullick, and our new associate members Helen Hutton and Holly Latham.
We hope you enjoy being part of Editors SA and take advantage of IPEd’s networks. We look forward to seeing you at our workshops and other events throughout the year. Familiarise yourself with Zoom to get the most out of 2020’s offering — there will be a lot more distance events this year.
Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn, and keep an eye on the IPEd website for updates. The IPEd newsletter will keep you informed of branch and IPEd-wide news and events. These are all good forums for socialising and networking and, of course, provide opportunities to build your knowledge and expertise.
Get involved and do not be shy. We are thrilled to have you on board.
Communications report
by Sumudu Narayana
Get in touch.
If you’d like to send in a piece to be published in the newsletter and/or on social media, please email edsa.comms@iped-editors.org. Your submission could be in text, a photo or series of photos, or you could record a video — it is up to you.
Visit us on social media, like and follow our pages, and share our events. Find Editors SA on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn.
Sumudu Narayana is an Editors SA Branch Committee member.
Upcoming events
Book Club
Date: Thursday 15 October 2020
Times: NZ: 9pm NZST
Norfolk Island: 8pm NFT
Qld: 6pm AEST
Tas/ACT/Vic/NSW: 7pm AEST
SA/NT: 6.30pm ACST
WA: 5pm AWST
Venue: Online via Zoom meetings
Cost: Free for members.
Description
Editors SA is preparing for our third Book Club event. Lauren Bevilacqua will be your host. Join us and tell us about a book you have read recently or an old favourite. If you have not read anything lately, no problem; come along for some book recommendations and literary discussion (maybe postpone your Book Depository order until after the event). Full details and booking link to be provided soon.