From Andrea McKay and Ann Philpott, Standing Committee of Awards and Prizes
For the first time, students from both sides of the Tasman have made the shortlist for the 2026 IPEd Student Prize.
Student Prize shortlist
- A team entry from Jess Burns, Gabriel Harrison, Alexander Hazell, Indara Gentle, Maria Gower, Lydia Marshall, Cheree Navales, Chanel Tran and Daniel Worner, students from Curtin University’s Professional Writing and Publishing course, for their editorial letter about the manuscript Holding on.
- Susie Harris, a Master of Arts (Writing and Literature) student from Deakin University, for her editing appraisal of a short story.
- Colin Marshall, a student from Whitireia New Zealand’s Graduate Diploma in Publishing (Applied) course, for his class presentation, “Macrons in publishing in Aotearoa New Zealand”.
- Josephine Parker, a Master of Arts (Professional Writing and Publishing) student at Curtin University, for her portfolio of work for Elephant Page Publishing.
The judging panel noted that the quality and scope of submissions for this year’s prize was impressive, demonstrating the commitment and skill of those who are and will be entering the profession.
“The submissions were notably diverse in style, from discursive research essays to class presentations. The judges noted the care with which their teachers have constructed learning contexts and authentic assessment tasks that encourage engagement with the profession and contemporary editorial practices,” their report said.
“The shortlisted submissions showed excellence within their specific genres and impressed the judges with their professionalism. Through this, they demonstrated a depth of understanding of editing that went beyond a particular skill or narrow task.”
The Standing Committee of Awards and Prizes extends warm congratulations to the students on the shortlist.
The winning entry will be announced in March. The winner will be interviewed for an upcoming issue of Gatherings and their entry published on the IPEd website.
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.
More information is available at www.iped-editors.org/about-iped/awards.