Guest Northern Highlights - Manchester Metropolitan University

GUEST NORTHERN HIGHLIGHTS

Manchester Metropolitan University 

You are the new kid on the block! How does your MA stand out from other publishing MAs?

We think it’s quite special in that it was set up in collaboration with Comma Press and is taught with them. And within MMU the MA is also collaborative. It sits within the Department of English and the Manchester Writing School, which is home to the biggest creative writing MA/MFA in the country, but we have great staff from the Department of Languages, Information and Communications and the Department of Law and are also increasingly working with Art and Design.

As you will know, publishing is a broad field, combining many areas of expertise, which is why this MA is so interdisciplinary. We cover all the key areas, from commissioning and editing to sales and marketing, book design, contracts and rights. And we also offer exciting options in contemporary magazine publishing, literature in translation and writing, illustrating and publishing children’s books.

We also have the amazing Debbie Williams, who set up the first publishing MA in the North of England, and who knows just about everyone in publishing, so we have a wonderful array of guest speakers from the industry, many of whom have acted as mentors to our students.

The MA is quite vocational and offers multiple opportunities for students to experience the industry first-hand, from internships to mentoring to advice on CVs. Additionally, each student completes a dissertation which involves in-depth research into some aspect of the industry, and this brings them further into contact with industry professionals. The aim is that by the end of the MA students leave with an impressive portfolio and a range of industry contacts and enough experience to give them a significant advantage in the job market.

We also have just discovered that we have been nominated for an award for best course by students at MMU. We are all really proud that such a new course has caught the students' attention! 

We would love to hear more about your unit on writing, illustrating and publishing children’s books.

This is a brand new and, we believe, unique unit taking advantage of many of the best assets at MMU and the city in which we are based. Manchester is a very exciting place for children’s books currently, seeing initiatives like Children’s Books North, Hachette Children’s Books and Manchester Children’s Literature Festival grow and flourish. Manchester School of Art is also renowned for its training and we wanted to join all of these aspects together. The new unit sees students from Illustration, Creative Writing and Publishing work together to produce their own picture books which they pitch to industry professionals. By the completion of the unit, students will have good networks in the children’s book industry, as well as a portfolio of sample work and practical skills which puts them in a great position for pursuing this as a career.

Do you have any plans to extend the children’s unit?

It is very early days, but yes, we do have some very exciting plans in the offing. We are hoping to bring forward a completely unique MA in Children’s Picture Books, to reflect the exciting industry developments in this genre. This will be the only one of its kind in the UK, bringing all the elements of picture book creation (writing, publishing and illustrating) together in one course.

Can you tell us about your partnership with local indie publisher, Comma Press?

Comma are a leading independent publisher who set up the Northern fiction Alliance of independent publishers, so they bring a lot of industry expertise to the course. We have the marvellous Sarah cleave from Comma Press, who actually teaches with us on the core modules, as well as running an option of her own, Literature in Translation.

Comma worked with MMU at every step of the way in planning and developing this course. They have offered an internship this year, and they also put on the Publishing Conference for students, to which professionals from all aspects of the industry are invited

What opportunities do you offer students to do work experience with local publishers?

We are always being approached by different companies who offer internships, which we advertise and help students to apply for. This year, Comma Press are also offering an internship to our students.

Through the summer, rather than organising work placements, which often are only one or two weeks and unpaid, we offer students the chance to do a project in collaboration with industry professionals over the course of the summer term. We believe this gives graduates a unique edge, as well as putting into practice the practical skills that they have acquired throughout the course.

Also in the summer term, students are paired with a mentor from the industry as they start applying for jobs. Alongside this, they are given sessions on preparing for applications and interviews, as well as individual coaching on CV and cover letter writing.

What local industry events/networking events can your students take part in?

Students at MMU are in a unique position as Manchester is renowned worldwide for its literature and book events. Students are not only encouraged to go to these, but are often involved in helping to organise them, giving them great experience at event organisation. We also have our own, unique event space within the new, cutting edge School of Digital Arts building, which has a regular programme of literature and book events.

Why is Manchester a great place to study publishing?

When I first began my career as a writer, all publishing occurred in London. Now all that is changing. Manchester has been designated a UNESCO City of Literature and is a vibrant creative hub. Outside London, it is the best place to seek employment in the creative industries. And just as our MA started, in 2020, major publishing companies such as Hachette and Harper Collins opened offices here, and it is rumoured that more will follow. We also have a great selection of Indie presses as well. It is an obvious place to do an MA

What would you like to see from the publishing scene in Manchester?  

More outreach – many people still find the world of publishing mysterious and are not aware of the many opportunities it offers. When I was doing my A levels I wasn’t aware of the different kinds of careers that came under the umbrella of the publishing industry – I would really like our schools and colleges to know more about the variety of potential career paths currently available.

Also, there are more than 200 languages spoken in Manchester and it would be exciting to reach out to all these groups and provide ways into publishing for them.

Similarly, I would like us to make partnerships with universities and publishing companies in different countries. Comma have an amazing track record of translating and publishing translated literature, and I would like us to develop our international links further via this course.

Twitter: @publishing_MMU