From the committee
by Paul Anderson and Russell Noakes
The EdNSW branch committee met on 8 June for its monthly meeting via Zoom, with three apologies.
We are thrilled to announce Elizabeth Beach AE has joined the committee as our Mentoring Program Delegate. The committee voted to accept her nomination and looks forward to working with Elizabeth.
Reports received included:
- branch budget commentary (with preliminary summary for May 2021 and preliminary estimates for June 2021)
- Annual Branch Meeting (ABM) schedule 2021 update
- professional development (SCPD) and social media report
- membership report
- Director’s update.
Branch annual financial performance to date is tracking well against budget, and we anticipate achieving a modest surplus this financial year.
Planning continues for the ABM on 3 August. The Returning Officer will have emailed voting members in June to call for nominations for the 2021–22 committee. Exciting and important roles are open, including that of Presentations Coordinator.
We will also be in touch to ask branch members to suggest questions for the members’ forum that will follow ABM business. This is an opportunity for members to engage with the committee and fellow members — to put questions to the committee and raise matters.
Our speaker presentation on 1 June was Pragmatism overrides ethics? Editing for clients in Dutch academia, presented by Dr Joy Burrough-Boenisch. (See report in the General Interest section in this issue of Gatherings.) Joy is a freelance academic editor based in the Netherlands. She provided perspectives on English-language use at Dutch universities and compilation-style PhD theses. A recording of the meeting will be available for online purchase (and free if you paid to attend).
The next member event is our biannual dinner meeting this month. It will be great to see those of you, our branch members, who can join us in Sydney in July. Speaker presentations are planned for September and October 2021.
We ran a successful, fully booked workshop in May, Using PDF mark-up effectively, with Kevin O’Brien. (See report in the General Interest section in this issue of Gatherings.) The workshop comprised two sessions on 22 and 27 May. We hope to get Kevin back next year for another workshop — this time on macros for Word.
We will host a workshop this month, Copyediting fiction, with Nicola O’Shea, on 22 and 29 July. Attendance will be limited to 15 participants and Zoom break-out rooms will be used. Nicola co-presented the popular speaker-meeting, Fiction editing, in November 2020.
Six new members were approved to join the branch since May. Welcome to you all.
An editors’ lunch is planned in Coffs Harbour on 30 July. Basic details in social events below or contact Susie Pilkington at ednsw.admin@iped-editors.org for more information.
Welcome to new members
by Kaaren Sutcliffe AE
EdNSW is pleased to welcome the following new members:
Professional members: Nigel Brew AE; Alison Moodie AE; Amanda Green; Catherine Allen AE
Associate members: Abigail Taylor; Sandrine Saysana-Ramon
Events
Workshop: Copyediting fiction
Dates: Session 1: Thursday 22 July 10am to 1pm and Session 2: Thursday 29 July 10am to 12.30pm
Location: online via Zoom
Details: Even experienced editors can feel apprehensive about applying their skills to a fiction manuscript. How much editing is too much when it comes to a novel or a short story? How do you preserve the author’s voice while still ensuring the text suits its readership and is error-free? In this workshop we will look at some of the key elements in copyediting fiction such as voice, dialogue and a sensitive approach.
Presenter: Nicola O’Shea started editing fiction in-house at HarperCollins Publishers Australia in the late 1990s. In her freelance career, she edits for a range of publishers, as well as working directly with authors to help them prepare their manuscripts for submission to agents or publishers, or to self-publish. She has taught editing at University of Technology, Sydney and the University of Sydney, run several workshops on fiction editing for EdNSW, and currently teaches an online fiction structural editing course.
Book here.
Note: numbers are limited to 15 but we will take a waiting list if the event sells out.
Member meetings
Member meetings will continue to be held via video-conference using the Zoom application.
Members are urged to check their email for the latest information on any event.
Bookings via the IPEd Events webpage.
Annual Branch Meeting (followed by members’ forum)
Date: Tuesday 3 August 2021, 7pm AEST
Location: online via Zoom
Details: will be announced closer to the date
Cost: free to members
Bookings: for this members-only event close Friday 30 July and a link to join the Zoom meeting will be emailed to all registrants on Saturday 31 July.
Booking link to come.
Social events
Mid-year dinner
Date: One evening in July 2021
Details: Keep an eye on your emails as we investigate a suitable date and venue to get together.
Social events
Editors’ lunch
Date: Friday 30 July 2021, 12.30 pm
Location: Shearwater Restaurant, The Promenade, 321 Harbour Drive, Coffs Harbour.
Details: More information will be included in an email to members.
Watch your email for details of these and other networking gatherings.