President’s report September 2023
By Margaret Trudgeon AE
The new Editors Victoria committee has hit the ground running after the ABM back in July. Our new members are settling into their roles, after handovers and assigning email addresses, and we are starting to make headway with our planning for the next few months. It was very heartening for me to chair our first committee meeting of the year and see all those new faces! Keep an eye out for short bios on each of our committee members in the coming issues of Gatherings, presented by Bonnee Crawford, our new Communications Officer.
On 1 September we held another of our popular “Ask an editor” cuppa sessions for students. The event attracted a healthy 40+ registrants to see a panel of mid-career editors talk about their experiences and offer up their wisdom to current editing students. Our panellists for this session were Michaela Skelly, Kirby Fenwick and Imelda Cribbin, with questions presented by our current Student Adviser Cai Bardsley. One aim of the event is to help us find our next Student Adviser, as Cai will be finishing up soon. Thank you to Cai for all your enthusiasm and capability in the role, and all the best for your new position at the Small Press Network! Thanks also to Stephanie Holt who provided some great assistance in the background too.
PD has continued to run its popular workshops, including an Intro to ebook editing held in last August, with another double workshop of the grammar refresher with Linda Nix booked out for 12 and 19 September. And after recently moving to Ballarat, our Accreditation Board rep, Susan Pierotti, organised a regional get-together at a local cafe for members living in the area, which was held in the Ballarat region on 30 August. Stephanie Holt is planning a similar get-together for the Castlemaine region. Keep an eye on your emails for details.
Ann Philpott, our new Projects and Outreach Officer, has been helping to organise a launch of Dr Renée Otmar’s second edition of Editing for Sensitivity, Diversity and Inclusion, recently published by Cambridge University Press. It will be held via Zoom as a free event on 25 September, 2–3 pm. Renée will be interviewed by our Inclusion and Access Adviser, Thirangie Jayatilake, as part of her role to encourage diversity and inclusion in editing. All are welcome to attend from around Australia and New Zealand. A free copy of the book will be given away on the day and there will be a 20% discount for purchases for a limited time.
Our new Events Officer, Lee Ellwood, is busy planning events for the rest of the year, with the assistance of Kylie Howard, one of our new subcommittee members. Among the plans is a Christmas in-person dinner and speaker event to be held on Wednesday 6 December at Mr Tulk (near RMIT, Melbourne). Well-known linguist and author Kate Burridge will be joining us to speak about her take on the English language. More details will be available soon, but mark it in your diaries!
As you can see, there’s lots to look forward to!
Introducing the new EdVic committee
Following the recent Editors Victoria ABM, we are pleased to introduce some of our committee members for the next year.
Margaret Trudgeon, President
I’ve been on the Editors Victoria committee for four years now and am currently President, after taking over the reins from Stephanie Holt back in March. Since then I’ve been settling in and gradually getting used to the bigger range of responsibilities. I’m also a freelancer, and among the bread and butter jobs, have been working on a range of art books over the past 12 months, including a big book on Aboriginal art and one on Australian abstract art. In my spare time I’ve been enjoying seeing live music again, catching some old favourites like The Stranglers and even travelling down to Tasmania in June to see a rare Australian performance of Danish electronic composer Trentemøller, who did not disappoint!
Bridget Blair AE, Secretary
I’m a freelancer working across a broad range of general non-fiction, after getting my start with Dorling Kindersley while living in the UK and then a long stint in-house with Lonely Planet as a copy editor, project manager and commissioning editor. Most of my work these days is on travel, lifestyle and food titles. I am ably hindered in my work by my feline assistant.
After four years as Communications Officer for EdVic, I’ve opted for a change of scenery with the Secretary position, and am looking forward to working with the new team. I enjoy the collegiality of being on the committee, as I found I was missing being part of a team once I’d gone freelance. In my spare time (when my kids will let me have any) I love sewing and crafting. I find making things totally absorbing and hence relaxing.
Bonnee Crawford, Communications Officer
I have stepped into the Communications Officer role after a year on the Professional Development subcommittee. I became a freelance editor in 2017, but I had my humble beginnings in 2014 as a sub-editor on a student magazine. Academic editing and creative editing are my fortes, and I enjoy the best of both worlds when I work on theses with a creative artefact. Before I discovered my passion for editing, I fell in love with the craft of writing. So now I do both! When I’m not editing or writing, I enjoy cooking and sharing tasty food with friends, singing (loudly and badly) in the car, and daydreaming about travelling.
Lee Ellwood | Events Officer
I moved to Melbourne in late 2021 from Brisbane, where I was Events Officer for the Queensland branch for two years. I am a freelance editor and content writer for businesses and agencies, particularly purpose-led organisations, and gained accreditation in 2021. My other interests include quilting, sewing, wandering into bookshops unaccompanied, rescuing lost books from street libraries, and learning the cello late in life (as you do). As Events Officer for Editors Victoria, I hope to be able to bring informative events and opportunities for connection and networking to members regardless of their residential location.
Kylie Howard | Events Subcommittee
I became an IPEd and Editors Victoria member in 2022, and I’m excited to be on the Editors Victoria Events subcommittee for 2023–2024. I’m quite new to editing after a long career as a lawyer. I’m currently undertaking the Capstone editing course and have started doing some freelance editing work. Given my background, I have a keen interest in legal editing; however, I’m looking forward to embracing other forms. I see joining the Events subcommittee as an opportunity to forge new relationships and play a constructive part in bringing great events to members. When I’m not editing or studying, I’m usually found with my nose in a book, cooking, swimming or spending time with my husband and two teenage daughters.
New members
EdVic is pleased to welcome members who have joined or upgraded since our last newsletter.
Professional members:
Peta Rebecha Webb
Associate members:
Sue Marshall
Student/graduate members:
Amanda Holder
We look forward to seeing you at our workshops and events and encourage you to make the most of IPEd’s networks for news and support.
Save the date – EdVic Christmas event – Wednesday 6 December
We are currently organising a branch Christmas do on the evening of Wednesday 6 December. We will be joined by guest speaker Kate Burridge, Professor of Linguistics at Monash University.
More details to come!