From the Standing Committee on Awards and Prizes
By Andrea McKay, Student Prize Coordinator
The 2026 IPEd Student Prize has been awarded to Josephine Parker, a student in the Master of Arts (Professional Writing and Publishing) program at Curtin University.
Josephine, who was also a shortlisted entrant last year, was awarded the prize for her portfolio of work examples for student-run Elephant Page Publishing. The judging panel said her portfolio “demonstrated a sophisticated understanding of a range of editorial practices, with appropriate sensitivity towards the authors involved”.
The entry was submitted by course coordinator Dr Per Henningsgaard and will be published on the IPEd website in the coming weeks.
The judges highly commended an editing appraisal submitted by Susie Harris, a Master of Arts (Writing and Literature) student from Deakin University. They described the appraisal as “nuanced and exemplary” and noted the impressive clarity and competence evident throughout the report.
Two further submissions were commended by the judges. An editorial letter produced as a team task by Jess Burns and her collaborators in the Professional Writing and Publishing course at Curtin University was described as “admirably thorough and perceptive in evaluating the manuscript provided”.
The class presentation by Colin Marshall, from the Graduate Diploma in Publishing (Applied) course at Whitireia New Zealand, on the use of macrons in the publication of texts using te reo Māori in Aotearoa New Zealand was also noteworthy. “Marshall’s handout and slide pack revealed a thorough investigation of this complex topic, with attention to varied practices and trends, and the recording of the class presentation showed how these were elaborated and shared in a polished, focused and engaging way with peers.”
The judges said the four shortlisted submissions showed excellence within their specific genres and impressed with their professionalism.
The Standing Committee on Awards and Prizes extends warm congratulations to Josephine for her win and to Colin, Jess, and Susie for the high quality of their work. The committee also extends special thanks to the judges for generously giving their time to assess the entries, particularly as judging took place over the busy Christmas period.
Results
Winner
Josephine Parker
Curtin University, Master of Arts (Professional Writing and Publishing)
Highly commended
Susie Harris
Deakin University, Master of Arts (Writing and Literature)
Commended
Jess Burns et al.
Curtin University, Professional Writing and Publishing
Commended
Colin Marshall
Whitireia New Zealand, Graduate Diploma in Publishing (Applied)
About the IPEd Student Prize
The IPEd Student Prize acknowledges excellent work by a student of editing. It is designed to enhance the profession of editing and support student work on issues relevant to the industry. It is awarded annually for a piece of work submitted as part of a tertiary qualification in editing, publishing, or another discipline with a focus on editing.
The prize is open to any tertiary-level student enrolled in an editing or publishing course at a New Zealand or Australian tertiary institution.
Entries for the 2027 Prize will open in September 2026. More information is available at https://www.iped-editors.org/about-iped/awards/.