President’s report
By Deborah Shaw AE
Kia ora,
I had a fantastic time at the IPEd conference – my first in-person conference! I was delighted to connect with the small but enthusiastic group of Editors ANZ members who made their way to Adelaide.
And I enjoyed seeing EdANZ member Tanja Gardner from the DEI Working Party speak on the panel, “Where we’ve come from, where we’re going: The past, present and future of diversity, equity and inclusion in editing”. You showed us the value that you bring to your clients’ work and how much they appreciate what you do.
A big thank you to Catherine Macdonald AE from Editors WA for coordinating our joint Friday branch dinner, nicely named Book Ends to celebrate the eastern- and western-most branches. A wonderful end to a wonderful conference!
My congratulations go out to the conference organisers. You did a phenomenal job putting the event together. I hope you’ve had a chance to relax and take stock of all you’ve achieved!
I had intended to include some photos of us EdANZ attendees, but I forgot to take any photos, except one of an ibis poking around the grass (I was excited to see the illustrious bin chicken in real life). That shows just how immersed I was in each day’s events.
One theme that came up in presentations and conversations was how much editors are still needed in this new age of AI-generated content. We do important work to help our writers communicate their message, whether that’s through books, journalism, annual reports, sales pitches, government communication or school curricula – where there are words, there need to be editors.
On a less positive note, the topic of Whitireia’s Wellington campus also came up in conversations. In mid-July came the shocking announcement that Whitireia’s Te Auaha campus is shutting down at the end of 2025. Whitireia is home to many courses, including the essential publishing diploma. Many of our members (including me) have gone through either the in-person or the online program over the diploma’s 30 year history. Losing it would be a travesty.
Talks between Whitireia and PANZ (the Publishers Association of New Zealand) are happening, and for the sake of Aotearoa New Zealand publishing, I do hope a solution can be found to keep this essential program going. My thoughts are with tutors Theresa Crewdson and Odessa Owens as you work through the consequences of this decision.
Related to the Whitireia closure are the recent cutbacks announced for historians at the Ministry for Culture and Heritage. Such cuts are, frankly, infuriating and shortsighted.
Tertiary programmes like Whitireia’s and cultural repositories like Te Ara and New Zealand History are crucial for promoting and preserving our writers’ and artists’ work, our history and our culture. If you haven’t read Everything I know about books, grab a copy and see just what a vibrant and passionate publishing scene we have.
Take care, and stay warm and dry. Spring is on the way.
Ngā mihi,
Deborah
Further reading
- Regional Polytechnics to be re-established from 2026 – Ministry of Education
- Whitireia and WelTec to shut creative campus, axe 48 jobs – The Post
- Why the New Zealand book industry is “freaking out” about Whitireia Publishing – The Spinoff
- Job cuts drop the axe on history – Newsroom
Welcome to our new members
- Caroline Wood