What was your pathway to publishing?

Somewhat traditional, somewhat lucky. I did a Fine Arts degree thinking that I’d like to write. One day I attended a guest lecture by editor Sue Abbey, who was speaking about Indigenous literature. She later encouraged me to apply for an editorial internship at the black&write! Project. There I spent two years developing my editorial skills and being mentored by the managing editor, Ellen van Neerven. A few years later I found an email in my spam from University of Queensland Press publisher Aviva Tuffield. I started doing some freelance work for UQP, then became an assistant in their marketing, publicity, and sales teams. I spent just as much time on the editorial wing, where I put my hand up to read and proofread manuscripts or shadow their editors on anything from picture books to poetry. A year later, I was offered an editorial role. My first lead project was working on the First Nations Classics series.

How many titles do you publish each year?

UQP publishes around forty titles each year: fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and children’s books.

Do you edit the books you commission?

As the series editor working on the First Nations Classics, I was able to commission and edit new introductions from authors including Tara June Winch, Larissa Behrendt, Evelyn Araluen, and others. More generally, I love working closely with all the publishers at UQP, who acquire new books throughout the year. It’s a rewarding experience to collaborate with publishers who are dedicated to their authors and who genuinely champion their books.

What qualities do you look for in an author?

Open-mindedness, generosity in sharing ideas, and good communication skills.

In your dealings with authors, what is the greatest pleasure – and challenge?

The greatest pleasure is assuring an author that it’s doable. Each book I get to work on vastly expands the way I connect and build relationally with each author. My greatest challenge might just be impostor syndrome (that’s on me, not because of the authors.) It’s confronting when you have to engage with a work that might be completely beyond your knowledge or outside your own life experience. That said, I love the challenge of learning new things.

Do you write yourself? If so, has it informed your work as a publisher?

Sometimes. I am terrible at working on anything in long form. so instead I’ll write a poem in the Notes app of my phone or start a short story in ‘drafts’ on my Outlook, fully knowing I’ll never finish it. I’ve performed a lot of my poetry, and I think there are benefits to starting off as an aspiring writer. It keeps me connected to communities of story.

What kinds of books do you enjoy reading?

Nowadays I’m not too fussed what I read and will give anything a go. I like a good book that will alter the way I see the world. Mostly I adore picture books, because they blend all the good bits of storytelling with artwork, illustration, and design. They allow us to believe in stories that are weird, wonderful, and impossibly bizarre.

Which editors/publishers do you most admire?

Mainly because they are good (and smart and kind) publishers or editors who have championed or inspired me along the way: Aviva Tuffield, Sue Abbey, Ellen van Neerven, Grace Lucas-Pennington, Rachel Bin Salleh, Jacqueline Blanchard, Anne-Marie Te Whiu, Bridget Caldwell-Bright, Cathy Vallance, Ian See, Clair Hume.

What advice would you give an aspiring publisher?

I don’t think you need a higher degree to be successful in this industry. You do need to be curious and know how to ask hard questions with empathy. Small beginnings are never insignificant, so be willing to work hard in roles that don’t appear as a first choice for a foot in the door. Kindness keeps you connected with the right people. And always check your ‘Spam’ inbox: you never know what opportunities are sitting in your own personal slush pile.

What’s the outlook for new writing of quality?

Promising, truth-telling, and brave.