Open Book internship pilot program to run in 2022
Open Book, a new paid internship aiming to increase cultural diversity in the Australian publishing workforce, has announced the details of its pilot program.
After being announced late last year but delayed due to Covid, the pilot Open Book: Australian Publishing Internship will offer two six-month paid placements in 2022. One internship will be based in NSW and the other in Victoria, with interns receiving an introduction to the industry at a rotating selection of publishing houses across commercial, independent and educational presses: Pan Macmillan, Hachette and UNSW Press in Sydney, and Hardie Grant, Oxford University Press and Scribe in Melbourne.
Of the two internships, one is an identified Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander role. Interns will not need to demonstrate proof of a Higher School Certificate equivalent or university degree, nor will they need previous experience in the book industry. They will be paired with external mentors who will guide and support them throughout the program.
The internship roles will be part time, three days a week, with a salary of $15,000 plus superannuation (based on a FTE of $50,000). Further details and a full position description can be found on on the Open Book website, which will go live on Tuesday, 5 October.
In 2022, the program will run with funding support from the Australia Council and the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund. Twenty-two organisations across the publishing industry have expressed support for the program to work towards an industry-funded model in the future.
Literary agent and chair of the Open Book advisory board Grace Heifetz said: ‘We are so thrilled to be launching this program and hope it will play a small part in creating space for fresh and diverse talent in the publishing industry. We want this program to have longevity—that means creating meaningful and sustainable pathways that can lead to long-term careers. It’s particularly heartening to have support from across the industry and a commitment to extending this program well into the future.’
The program will launch its website and open for applications on Tuesday, 5 October.
Category: Local news
