President’s report
by Margaret Trudgeon AE
I hope everyone had a relaxing Easter. While I was unable to go away, I did enjoy sitting in the sunshine, enjoying the last rays of our extended summer. I managed to catch a couple of comedy events and a film or two, so that was fun.
I’m really looking forward to the upcoming IPEd conference in July, having just registered and booked my flights and accommodation. I’m looking forward to spending a bit of time in Adelaide and was pleased to note that the conference is being held near the SA Museum and Art Gallery of SA. I hope to see many of you at the conference.
Last Friday, I attended the EdVic online workshop on editing under pressure with Pamela Hewitt AE. Pamela provided some valuable insights into how she has dealt with the pressures of running a full-time editing business, along with raising a family and sometimes working in-house. She presented some useful strategies to help cope with looming deadlines and some short-term strategies to help get through the day. I know I need to work on increasing my relaxing hours. After the workshop I went for a long walk around my local park and vowed to do that more often! I hope the other participants came away with some useful tips on ways to reduce the stresses and pressures that can come with working as an editor.
On Tuesday 29 April, we had a great turnout of members to see Kristilee Ransley speak enthusiastically about writing and editing engaging annual reports. The session included practical tips and common pitfalls, along with strategies for transforming walls of text into engaging narratives.
In June, we are running the popular online “Grammar refresher” workshop with Dr Linda Nix AE. It will be split across three dates (4, 11 and 18 June). If you’re interested, you can book now.
Finally, if you’re still a bit undecided on whether or not to attend the conference, come along to our Editors Victoria networking lunch on 15 May at Arcadia and we can give you some useful information on what to expect. The earlybird prices end on 31 May. Don’t forget that Editors Victoria is offering a limited number of subsidies of $200 to members facing hardship to help them attend the conference. You may have recently received a reminder letter about it. To apply, please email our secretary, Donald, at edvic.secretary@iped-editors.org.
Welcome to our new members
Student and graduate members:
- Amber Rose Hall
- Ashokmuralii Rajagopal
Associate member:
- Yvonne-Marie Zaidan
Introducing the committee: Donald Ritchie – Secretary, Editors Victoria
I joined Editors Victoria as an Associate member in 2021 while working as principal advisor to the Chief Judge of the County Court of Victoria. After the many challenges of that role during the COVID pandemic, I was ready for a change.
My career path had taken me from practising commercial and criminal law in Western Australia to working as a criminologist and policy officer in Melbourne for over nine years, to assisting the administration of Victoria’s largest trial court for nearly five years.
Writing and clear communication have always been my passions, and much of my legal work involved authoring or reviewing texts and policy documents. I realised I was most passionate about helping writers connect with their audience and convey their message with clarity and precision.
I became a full-time freelance nonfiction editor in January 2024. While running a small business has involved a steep learning curve, it has been a welcome challenge.
Volunteering – first on the professional development subcommittee and now as secretary of Editors Victoria – has been one of the best decisions I made when embarking on my new career. It has connected me with a community of passionate and dedicated editors across Victoria, Australia and New Zealand. They have been so welcoming and generous with their time and expertise. As I told a friend last year, “I think I finally found my people!”
Beyond work, I love to travel and experience new cultures, especially through food tours. At home, I feel incredibly lucky to live in Melbourne, where I’m spoiled for choice with its literary festivals, theatre, music, arts and vibrant food scene.