Finding Your Roots: PublishED as a Community

By Chiara Hampton

The new semester is upon us, bringing with it fresh aspirations and anxieties. Uni calendar dates may be arbitrary divisions of time, but these artificial beginnings provide excellent opportunities to seek out new experiences. Last September marked the start of my first year of university: an ideal moment to put down roots. As an English student, I was naturally drawn to literary organizations, among them PublishED. After their annual bookshop crawl, I joined the society and have attended every event since. You’ll have likely ascertained that my goal here is to encourage you to capitalize on this period of uni recalibration and give the society a try. Information about our events and the literary magazine we produce are readily available on this very site, yet they do not fully encapsulate the personal and atmospheric aspects of the society. Instead, this post is dedicated to (and here I accept the risk of drawing on the vacuous vocabulary of school boards and urban planners) PublishED as a community.

Since our society promotes enthusiasm for literature and knowledge of publishing, the aforementioned community encompasses both areas, creating a group of both literary devotees and aspiring publishers. Several members study English, but course specifics are insignificant. Everyone is welcome, whether they spend their days analyzing Renaissance poetry or vector calculus. Members are instead united by enthusiasm for literature and language, a shared affinity which was never more evident than during the launch of last semester’s Inkwell. As contributors to the journal performed their work, admirative comments carried through the room, noting the particulars of a poem, the inclusion of a design, the texture of print on a page. As wonderful as the analytical outlets of a university may be, they often lack this emotional enthusiasm. Anyone looking purely to share their love of the literary might find a haven at PublishED events.

The publishing side of the society (not to be neglected) can be illustrated by harkening back to another event from earlier in the year: our 6x6 panel on various areas of publishing. Although the speakers shared a wealth of practical knowledge, the humanity they brought to their field may have been the greatest takeaway. When considering our individual career goals, we can too easily feel isolated, forgetting that each journey takes place within a sea of humans who are more than nameless faces. There will always be individuals (both outside and within the industry) who are willing to encourage and aid us. A publishing society creates one such space of connection, where those interested in the field can begin to discover it together. Naturally, PublishED does not provide a straightforward guide to the industry, merely a group with whom to share thoughts, be it during an informative panel or over a drink.

If you’re interested in becoming a member, or simply want to stop by, we are hosting a 'Write Drunk Edit Sober' event next Tuesday. It's a perfect excuse to get a little tipsy and is always a riot, with prompts ranging from writing haikus about animals, to love sonnets about stationery. There's more detail on our Upcoming Events page, so do come along and get ready to get those creative juices flowing!