Courses in Editing and Book Design

Via The Seagull School of Publishing

The Seagull School of Publishing, Calcutta, offers a professional course—in Editing and in Book Design—run entirely by practicing publishers, editors and designers who are passionate about the craft of publishing. Hands-on training. Loads of assignments. Conversations with professionals from publishing houses in India and abroad. Field trips to printing presses. Research trips to bookstores. Open-house discussions on current issues. Classes ranging from copyright infringement to e-books to the joys of reprinting War and Peace. Internships. Fellowships for aspiring publishers. And a computer lab featuring the best of equipment and software.

A career in books is often seen as the preserve of the traditional elite. Globally, over the last 20 years, publishers and other lobby groups have sought to address the lack of social and ethnic diversity in publishing. The UK-based forum for Equality in Publishing, Equip, is one such initiative. It was earlier called DIPNET—Diversity in Publishing Network. A DIPNET survey in the UK in 2007 revealed that fewer than 4 per cent of people working in editorial and senior roles within publishing are from ethnic minorities, and the prevailing perception of the industry was that it is dominated by the white middle class. The trade journal Bookseller has often discussed this issue in recent years. In India, despite lack of hard data, a similar situation obtains.

In a modest contribution towards diversity, the Seagull School of Publishing, in association with Navayana, invites applications from groups traditionally under-represented in all areas of publishing in India. In the Indian context, this would mean candidates who otherwise face exclusion owing to caste, religion and class. Two selected candidates will be offered a scholarship by Seagull and Navayana.

Applicants who wish to avail of this opportunity must write a note on how and why their candidature shall contribute to diversity in publishing. Applicants must have a good working knowledge of English since that will be the medium of instruction.

The second course for this year starts on 1st June, 2013. The application process opens from 1st February.

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