Alumni - Elizabeth Brennan, MA Publishing

I did the MA in Publishing at Brookes in 2003-2004 and am now working in Dublin as Commissioning and Managing Editor at Orpen Press (www.orpenpress.com).  Orpen, the trade books division of Blackhall Publishing, publishes informative, practical and relevant Irish non-fiction, focused on what affects people’s lives in Ireland now. The subject matter of our books ranges from the political to the personal.

I chose to do the MA in Publishing at Oxford Brookes (2003-2004) for a variety of reasons, including what I perceived to be the strong practical side to the course and the amazing connections with the publishing industry. Also, to be honest, I wanted to broaden my horizons and live outside Ireland for a time. The internship I undertook meant that I gained some experience on my CV. Getting to meet people from different parts of the world with similar interests was wonderful, and I made great lasting friendships.

My first job in publishing (in London) was in Sales and Marketing. I made a sideways move into editing in that job and then met my current employer at the London Book Fair. I went back home to Dublin to work as an editor and have since moved into a management and commissioning role.

The Brookes course immerses you in the atmosphere of modern publishing from the start and gets you to come out of yourself through both group work and the many social events.

Posted on 24 May 2012 around 2pm