From the committee
December 2021 meeting
by Paul Anderson and Russell Noakes
The EdNSW committee met on 14 December for its monthly meeting via Zoom, with two apologies.
We are thrilled to announce Olivia Wroth has joined the committee as our Networking Coordinator. The committee looks forward to working with Olivia and members can look forward to more networking events in 2022.
Minutes of the November committee meeting were accepted and actions from previous meetings reviewed.
Written reports received included:
- presentation schedule
- membership
- branch financial report for the month ended 30 November 2021
- branch budget commentary
- mentoring
- Accreditation Board Delegate’s report
The EdSA branch will run workshops by Kevin O’Brien and Malini Devadas in the first half of 2022. These replace our previously announced workshops with these presenters.
Three new IPEd Associate members joined the branch in November. One new mentorship was arranged in the same month.
EdNSW’s financial position remains sound. Our performance (YTD to 30 November 2021) achieved a net surplus and was $3,126 better than budget.
January 2022 committee meeting
by Paul Anderson and Russell Noakes
We trust all our members had a restful break over the new year period.
The EdNSW committee met on 11 January for its first monthly meeting of the year, via Zoom, with one apology.
Minutes of the December committee meeting were accepted and actions from previous meetings reviewed.
Written reports received included:
- presentation schedule
- membership
- branch budget commentary
- mentoring
- Accreditation Board Delegate’s report
There was no speaker presentation in January, as is customary. Dr Mark Lock is the speaker on 1 February (promoted in past Gatherings) and Jess Gately will be our speaker on 1 March discussing Worldbuilding in fiction.
There are a couple of upcoming call-outs we wish to flag and promote to branch members:
- We are seeking a Professional Development Delegate to join the committee. This person will be our branch representative to the IPEd Standing Committee on Professional Development (SCPD) and may also be called on to organise branch workshops.
- The Accreditation Board will likely require more remote invigilators for the 2022 exam.
These are good opportunities which we encourage our members to consider when you are setting goals for the year – and possible ways you could contribute to our organisation IPEd-wide and at a branch level.
Two new IPEd Associate members joined the branch in December. EdNSW closed the year with 378 active financial members as at 31 December 2021.
New members
by Kaaren Sutcliffe AE
EdNSW is pleased to welcome the following new members:
Associate: Elizabeth Tasker, Prudence Rhodes, Jessica Cunliffe, Kelly Rigby and Anna-Paige Andrews.
Networking
Photo by Paula Terry-Lancaster
EdNSW December Dinner
by Paul Anderson
EdNSW members dined out at Foys Kirribilli in the Sydney Flying Squadron club on 7 December on a beautiful summer evening. More than 20 members were able to get together for our annual December dinner event. The weather in Sydney had been stormy during the day but conditions were perfect by the time we gathered on the deck for pre-dinner drinks, with gorgeous views over the harbour, the water shimmering pink at twilight. It was a nice spot at which to enjoy the company of colleagues and some in-person networking to end the year. Later, we were seated in the restaurant for a two-course meal, more chat and good cheer. There were grinners and winners after the prize draw that concluded festivities. We thank HarperCollins for the selection of books and PanMacmillan for the online subscriptions to Macquarie Dictionary.
Events
Member meetings
Many EdNSW events will continue to be held via video conference using Zoom.
Members are urged to check their email for the latest information on any event.
Bookings via the IPEd Events webpage.
There was no speaker event held in January.
Details of our next event below.
What’s in a World: Worldbuilding in fiction
Date: Tuesday 1 March 2022, 7.00 pm AEDT
Location: Online via Zoom
Details: Worldbuilding is an essential act of humanity, one that almost every person has engaged in at one point or another in their lifetime, and it surrounds us on a daily basis. Playtime (think cardboard boxes, blanket forts and playgrounds), theme parks, tabletop games, video games, movies, television and, of course, books all immerse us in make-believe worlds throughout our lives. But what is their purpose? How are they made? How are they used? And how do we as editors help authors tease out the details of their worlds without info-dumping? In this presentation, Jess takes a deep dive into the role of worldbuilding in fiction, drawing on some of your favourite stories and experiences along the way.
Presenter: Jess Gately is a Perth-based editor specialising in speculative fiction. She is the Director of Business Development at Underground Writers and the President of Editors WA. She holds a Masters in Professional Writing and Publishing from Curtin University where she investigated how editors can assess fictional languages in science fiction and fantasy. Jess has been a judge for the Aurealis Awards and the Small Press Network Book of the Year Award, and has previously worked for Night Parrot Press and Fremantle Press. Jess has appeared in guest lectures, workshops and panels to discuss building a professional social media presence, networking in the writing community, steps for submitting to publishers, and structural editing.
Bookings: Close Friday 25 February 2022. Book here.