July 2026 Editors Victoria

President’s report

By Margaret Trudgeon 

This is my final President’s report. I can’t believe that my three years are up! It’s been a fun ride and a great privilege to serve and get to know many of our members through our many events – especially the in-person ones. I’ve also really enjoyed working alongside my fellow Editors Victoria committee members, watching as many of them take on a position wondering how they will go, and then seeing them blossom. I’ve witnessed some terrific events and workshops take shape, alongside the other organisational tasks that a committee like ours takes on.

Over my tenure I’ve particularly enjoyed the in-person end-of-year events, where we’ve hosted Graeme Simpsion, Kate Burridge and, last year, Clare Wright. I’ve also enjoyed watching new and upcoming editors engage with more experienced editors in our “Ask an editor” (or student cuppa) sessions, which are organised and run by our Student Adviser twice a year. Thanks to everyone who has stepped up to help with these over the past three years.

At a more committee-based level, the in-person planning days have been unexpectedly rewarding. It’s been great to hear the many ideas our committee members have come up with and then to bring many of them to fruition. These have included the Inclusion and Access speaker events put forward by Thirangie Jayatilake, such as the Jeanine Leane speaker event, and hosting a table at the RMIT Odyssey Festival. Thanks, too, to outgoing committee member Joyce Protacio who has been a great asset to the Communications team.

July marks our Annual Branch Meeting, or ABM. This year it’s on 15 July and after the official part of the program (where you get to hear what the committee’s been up to over the past year), we will be joined by Susan Butler AO, former editor of the Macquarie Dictionary, who will speak about the links between food and language. The speaker event is free to all Victorian members who register. Please do make the time to register and attend (online). We need a minimum of 20 professional members to form a quorum to vote in our next committee. We also have a couple of committee positions available as we go to press – Events and part of the Communications role (the advertising side of things). We also take on subcommittee members if you are interested in being part of the committee and would like to help out with our events and workshops but are unsure of how much time you can commit.

I’d like to thank all of you for your support over my term. I’d particularly like to thank Kylie Howard, Donald Ritchie and Jenn Zabinksas for their extra support during a few challenging moments, especially during Zoom events! I look forward to staying on the committee in the position of Professional Development officer, while Kylie Howard will take on the President’s role. I wish her all the best, and will still be around to help out when needed. Thanks for everything and hopefully see you at the next in-person event!

New members welcome

Associate Members: Ysabel Kershaw and Clare Millar

Editors Victoria Annual Branch Meeting and Speaker Event  

Editors Victoria’s Annual Branch Meeting (ABM) will be held via Zoom at 6.00 pm on Wednesday 15 July 2025. Please make the time to attend.    

All Victorian IPEd members should have received notice of the meeting via email, including a registration link.   

This year’s ABM will once again be held online. After the proceedings, we warmly invite you to stay on to hear a special presentation by our guest speaker, acclaimed lexicographer and author, Susan Butler AO. Susan will explore Australian English through the lens of food, from convict-era fare to today’s multicultural table, revealing how our attitudes to what we eat have shifted across our history.   

This presentation is free for all Editors Victoria members who attend the ABM.  

Interstate and New Zealand members can register separately for the speaker event.  

Three years of Editors Victoria: a reflection

By Joyce Protacio

I joined the Editors Victoria committee back in August 2024, starting out in the Communications subcommittee. While I was initially encouraged to join by my friend and then-PD officer Sophia Chan, my time with Editors Victoria developed into so much more than just helping out a friend.

You would think that joining the Editors Victoria committee would help you grow as an editor – don’t get me wrong, it does – but what you don’t realise is that it also helps you grow into yourself.

I think the editing profession attracts a lot of introverts, including myself. But it’s hard to stay in your shell when everyone around you is so encouraging. At the start, it was simple things like checking in during meetings if I hadn’t said anything. Then, it was small acknowledgments like “good idea” and “we should look into that”. After enough time, that kind of support gives you enough lift under your wings to be bold.

When Editors Victoria had events that needed to be promoted, I had the idea to start cold-emailing people: in-house and freelance editors, publishers, booksellers, private sector organisations, marketing officers – anyone I could think of who could benefit from our many offerings. If it were just me, I could’ve allowed my shyness to overcome me and stay within the safe confines of posting on social media.

But it wasn’t just me.

Any time I faced an obstacle, on all things editing and beyond, I was met with feedback, suggestions and encouragement. The Editors Victoria committee pushed me to share my ideas, pushed me into action, and more importantly, pushed me outside of my comfort zone.

While my most obvious growth over the last three years with Ed Vic was my transition from the subcommittee to sharing the role of Communications Officer, here are some other things that have also grown (exponentially, I dare say) since joining: my knowledge of the publishing industry, my collection of editing references, my confidence in my editing abilities, my knowledge of freelancing, my knowledge of Zoom and event management, my contacts and network, my knowledge of Canva and graphic design, and finally, my respect for my fellow editors as I witnessed firsthand the many hours of effort and focus that goes into each manuscript, thesis, manual and more.

I wish the very best to everyone I’ve worked with over the years, but I especially thank Cecile Shanahan, Margaret Trudgeon, Donald Ritchie, Kylie Howard, Jenn Zabinskas, Thirangie Jayatilake, Amanda Holder, Sophia Chan and Amber Rose Hall. While I’m curious to see what my future outside the committee holds, I look forward to seeing all the wonderful things Editors Victoria will accomplish in the coming years!