Publishers prepare for Work in Publishing Week

Publishers including And Other Stories, Cambridge University Press and HarperCollins are preparing to take part in Work in Publishing Week, a campaign to inspire young people aged 14–24 to pursue a career in publishing.

Running from Monday 18th November to Sunday 24th November, this year publishers are being encouraged to share why they work in the industry and what they love most about their job. The national campaign also coincides with Discover! Creative Careers Week, a weeklong event led by Creative and Cultural Skills that aims to help teenagers discover the breadth of jobs on offer in the sector.

HarperCollins will be visiting and hosting "working in publishing" sessions in six secondary schools in Southwark; Hachette is having a Discover! event at their office, as part of which they are conducting a tour, hosting a selection of talks and a publishing workshop; and Penguin Random House is shining a spotlight on some of the different roles available in the industry through a new video and blog series on its website and careers channels.

Cardiff University is hosting a Working in Publishing panel with panellists from Faber and Oxford University Press, and Cambridge University Press is running CV workshops with students at a local sixth form college.

And independent publishers are also getting involved, with Comma Press set to post about their Get a Job in Publishing 2019 conference with blog posts, video content and quote cards about why they work in publishing and what their day-to-day entails; Austin Macauley Publishers will distribute a specially made "Work in Publishing" guide to schools across the UK; and And Other Stories and Peepal Tree Press will host a Publishing Open Day in Sheffield.

Ruth Howells, deputy director of external affairs at the Publishers Association – which annually leads the cross-publishing initiative – said: “It’s fantastic to see such a range of activity planned for this year’s Work in Publishing Week. The publishing industry has embraced the campaign as a helpful and impactful way to showcase the variety of jobs available across the sector and how varied and rewarding a career in publishing can be. Thanks to everyone who has got involved. By combining different voices under one banner, we hope this year’s campaign will reach more people than ever before.”

Intended to provide practical support and guidance to those looking to enter the industry and showcase the breadth of career opportunities in publishing, those who wish to get involved on social media are encouraged to use the hashtag #WorkinPublishing.