Alumni - Meggie Dennis, MA Publishing Media

The MA in Publishing Media at Oxford Brookes gave me so many incredible opportunities, and I will forever be grateful for the way this course opened up the world of publishing to me.

Whilst studying for a BA in English at the University of Exeter, I knew I wanted to work in publishing. The Publishing MA at Oxford Brookes was recommended to me by everyone I spoke to who had knowledge of the industry; the reputation Brookes has for its Publishing courses is fantastic. 

My main advice to students would be to take every opportunity you can to get involved and try to go the extra mile wherever possible. Volunteering for OPuS events is a brilliant way to meet publishing professionals; learn about topics you may not have thought about before; bond with your coursemates and get to know your lecturers better. The book fairs are also great ways to meet people and find out about the huge variety of publishers out there - and it is so inspiring being in places where you are surrounded by people who love books and publishing as much as you do! Also try to be as creative as you can on the course: for one of our modules, lots of people did their final presentations in costumes related to their projects, which brought the topics alive in really exciting ways. Take advantage of all the publishing/book-based opportunities available in wider Oxford, too - for example, Sarah Franklin runs Short Stories Aloud every month in Blackwell’s, where you can meet authors, actors, and other locals who love stories. It is always a wonderful evening.

The tutors and lecturers on the MA are fantastic: so intelligent and inspiring, but above all, kind. I felt we were all part of a team - students and lecturers - so I would really encourage you to make the most of the time you spend with your tutors. And make the most of studying in Oxford, too! It is such a stunning city with so much to offer.  

Alongside my MA, I began an internship at David Fickling Books. I started in the PR department, then interned across PR and Editorial, and in July began my dream job as Editorial Assistant. I was working full time whilst finishing my dissertation, which was difficult but really challenged me in a positive way and taught me a lot about working hard under pressure! Through working at DFB I have been lucky enough to work on books by bestselling author Lisa Williamson (author of Waterstones Children's Book Prize-winning The Art of Being Normal); travel to Ireland with bestselling author Jenny Downham to promote her novel Furious Thing (shortlisted for the Costa Children's Award 2019) and attend the launches of Philip Pullman's The Secret Commonwealth and the advance screening of the BBC's His Dark Materials. It is a dream come true and the Publishing MA provided the perfect foundation.

Posted on 10 Dec 2019 around 11am