The Institute of Professional Editors (IPEd) is delighted to announce that long-time member Julie Ganner AE (Accredited Editor) has won IPEd’s highest award, the Janet Mackenzie Medal, for 2025.
Over a career spanning more than 35 years, Julie has made outstanding contributions to publishing and the editing profession. She has significantly advanced the profession by raising awareness, both within Australia and internationally, of the need for accessible and inclusive publications for readers with print disability.
She co-authored two books on accessibility and inclusive publishing, Books without barriers: a practical guide to inclusive publishing (2023) and Inclusive publishing in Australia: an introductory guide (2019). These have become standard guides for all in the publishing industry and have increased publishers’ recognition of the need for inclusivity and accessibility.
In addition, Julie has given time and invaluable expertise to the administration of IPEd, including as a member of the Accreditation Board for several years, as chair of the Accessibility Initiative Working Party and as a member of the IPEd Standards Working Party that recently published the third edition of the IPEd standards for editing practice (2024). Julie has also been an active member of the NSW branch; her long service on the committee included the role of President.
Julie’s career began at McGraw Hill UK and has included inhouse production and editorial roles. She is a highly respected freelance editor with many clients, including a long association with Pearson Australia. She has worked in all aspects of the editing profession and in many genres.
Publishing professionals have benefitted from her workshops, webinars and articles. Julie also promotes awareness of the principles of accessibility and inclusion for the editors of the future, through her teaching at the University of Sydney for the Master of Publishing degree.
Tireless, highly professional in all her work and greatly respected by her colleagues and clients, Julie is a positive and generous example to all editors.
“I was thrilled, very grateful, and a little overwhelmed [by the award]! The comments from IPEd’s Standing Committee on Awards and Prizes (SCAP), the IPEd Board and staff were all extremely kind. It’s a lot to take in,” Julie said.
“For me, the most exciting aspect of the award is its implicit recognition of the ongoing work my colleagues and I are doing to promote the importance of editing for accessibility, and of inclusive publishing in general. Our aim is to make the correction of accessibility issues as much a standard part of every editor’s professional practice as correcting language and grammar issues is. My hope is that this award will help us achieve that aim.
“I’m deeply grateful to Justine Dixon Cooper for her generous work in putting together my nomination, and to Kerry Davies HLM, Bernadette Chang and Agata Mrva-Montoya for their kind references. I’d also like to thank the members of SCAP and the judges for their time and consideration, and the IPEd Board for their support and encouragement. And of course, all the IPEd volunteers and staff I have worked with over the years, particularly the Editors NSW committee. I’ve learned a great deal from all of them, and made some wonderful friends along the way. Finally, my thanks go to the late Janet Mackenzie and her family for their thoughtful legacy, which has made this award possible.”
“The IPEd Board is thrilled that Julie Ganner has been selected as the winner of the Janet Mackenzie Medal,” said Stephanie Holt AE, Chair of the IPEd Board.
“With a long career and extensive service to the profession, she has continued to drive enduring change through the work she and her colleagues have done on inclusive publishing, and her continued advocacy and training in this important area. With this award, and with the gratitude of her IPEd peers, Julie will also be granted Life Membership of IPEd.”
Karen Lee, CEO of IPEd said Julie embodies the values at the heart of IPEd: excellence, integrity, and a commitment to meaningful change.
“Her work has transformed how we think about accessibility and inclusivity in publishing, and her generosity in sharing knowledge has uplifted countless editors and publishing professionals. It’s an honour to recognise Julie with the Janet Mackenzie Medal,” Karen added.
IPEd Board member, Justine Dixon Cooper AE nominated Julie for the award.
“To me, Julie was an absolute stand-out for the Mackenzie nomination,” Justine said.
“She is a leading light in our profession and her knowledge of editing practice is second to none. She has spent years sharing that knowledge and supporting other editors through IPEd – and more recently, as a lecturer at the University of Sydney. But beyond that, her advocacy for print accessibility means she has also supported the people that we editors ultimately work in aid of: the readers.”
IPEd thanks the 2025 Janet Mackenzie Medal judges – Elizabeth Manning Murphy, Ann Philpott and Jane Fitzpatrick – for generously giving their time to assess the entries. Thanks are also extended to the Mackenzie family and the Copyright Agency for their generous support of the Janet Mackenzie Medal.
Julie will receive the Janet Mackenzie Medal in July at the 2025 IPEd Conference. The conference will be held in Adelaide from July 23 to July 25. Registrations for the IPEd Conference are now open.
About the Janet Mackenzie Medal
IPEd awards the Mackenzie to an outstanding professional editor who has lifted the standard of the editing profession and/or given exemplary service to IPEd. The award consists of a medal and Honorary Life Membership of IPEd.
The award honours Janet Mackenzie DE (1947–2018). Janet was an Honorary Life Member (and founding member) of Editors Victoria, and served IPEd in many capacities over many years, including being on the first Standards Working Group, 1998 to 2001, and most recently on the Style Manual 7th Edition Steering Group, from which she resigned only weeks before her death. Janet’s family continues to donate generously to support IPEd awards.