I always had love for words. At the age of 7, I wrote my first story, called “Princess Anna”, and proudly read it out to every family member that visited our house. At school, I was better at humanities subjects than science or maths. Therefore, growing up I decided that I wanted to be either a writer or a journalist. And honestly, if I still lived in Poland, where I originally am from, I would have probably chosen Journalism as my undergraduate degree.

When I moved to Scotland 10 years ago and couldn’t speak any English, I accepted that I will never be able to be a journalist because my English will never be good enough to produce articles. Fast forward a few years, I actually did end up studying Journalism for a semester and realised that it was not for me. However, when I was still in high school, I discovered my love for languages. I did French and Spanish at Advanced Higher level and decided to study both languages at the University of Stirling.

For the majority of my Bachelor’s degree I thought that, once I graduate, I will pursue a career in translation. I hoped to be able to translate books, of course – I was still not letting go of words and the power that they have. However, the closer the graduation got, the more unsure I was about my career choice.

I finally realised that working in publishing is something that I have always wanted to do, since a very young age. At one point, I even wished to have my own publishing house – although now, I might have to reconsider that thought, after all! I remember thinking to myself, in 4th year of university, that I should stop worrying about the level of my English, my accent, and study something that I have always wanted to do.

Choosing to study MLitt in Publishing has been the best choice I could have made. The thing that I love the most about the course is how practical it is. Whenever I read a recommended textbook, I know that, one day, I will be able to use all the information in real life situations. I am happy to be part of such a dynamic and always changing environment and I cannot wait to see what the future brings. With every day passing I know that publishing is the industry I want to work in. I also hope to have a career where I could speak French and Spanish, as my ultimate goal is to daily use the two degrees that I have.

I am excited about the prospect of being able to contribute to the production of books. Back when I was a little girl my Dad used to read to me every single night in the hopes that I would become as obsessed with books as he was. My favourite of the books he read to me was The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe written by the wonderful C.S. Lewis. That was the first book that seriously got me hooked and it certainly was not the last. There’s just something enchanting about books that you simply cannot get anywhere else.

Therefore, like a true bibliophile, I thought the best undergraduate course for me would be English Literature (with Journalism Studies). Whilst I was studying I questioned what kind of job I would like after I graduated. I knew that I did not want to be a teacher so I gave journalism a go and interned at The Scottish Sun. That wasn’t for me. Then I saw that the University of Stirling had a Publishing MLitt course and I knew that was what I wanted to do. Having studied the course for over almost two months now, I know that I have made the right decision.

I am thoroughly enjoying the course and I am learning a lot, so although I thought I would definitely go into Editorial before I started the course, that could well change as the likes of marketing, design and production have also caught my eye. My family and friends have used me as their unpaid proofreader for years so I am gravitating towards a proofreading role as then I would at least be getting paid to do something I’ve been doing free for years now.

I am getting involved in as many things as I can: attending book fairs, book launches, SYP events, and I am keeping up to date with internship opportunities.

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After starting high-school in Scotland (I’m originally from Lithuania) at around the age of fifteen, I was in a constant learning mode. Trying to fit into a new environment, improve my English and make new friends took a toll on my reading habits. A few years later, I went to study Film and Media at Queen Margaret University in Edinburgh, which seemed right to me as it fit in with my interests at the time. Once I’d graduated, I was overwhelmed by the question that so many of us have after university: what do I want to do now? In the end, it took me two years to finally figure out I wanted to go into publishing.

During that period, I took a job at Caffe Nero which gave me a career path to focus on. I’m glad I did, as I got a chance to be the guest editor for our UK-wide employee newsletter in July this year and learn about the publishing processes, whilst also getting management experience as a shift leader/assistant manager in the shop.

The time I spent away from studying gave me more freedom to read and find my passion for books again after what I will call “a decade-long reading hiatus”. So, with this new-found interest in publishing, I started doing research on the industry and decided to continue with further education in Stirling.

The course has so far taught me so much about publishing and the opportunities available. Outside of studying, I’ve already managed to snag a place as a shadow panel judge for the Saltire Society, and I’m on the conference committee with the SYP. I was also offered a two-week work placement at Penguin Random House, which starts at the end of November. I have never worked so hard and enjoyed myself at the same time!

Currently, I’m interested in marketing and production roles, as they seem most suited to the skills I have. But there’s still so much to learn about publishing, and I think this course will be just the thing I need.

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The first time I asked my parents to buy me a book they were of course a little bit skeptical about the fact that I really wanted to read it, and, as all the parents do with their children, they said “Do you know that if we buy it you’ll have to read it, right?”. I still remember which book it was. It was a children’s book, so it wasn’t long, but I was little and by the time we went back home I had already finished it. I really think that from that moment my life changed. Some years after that episode I was very interested in a series of children’s novels, but I wasn’t still able to search for info about them on the internet (things weren’t as handy as they are today) and I wasn’t sure if sooner or later the next book in the series would have come out. I was sad, and my dad kept telling me that probably the sequel would never have come out. One night, during a celebration in my city, I entered a bookshop (open until late for the occasion) with my parents and, illuminated by a flash of light, there it was! I started crying, and on the way home I fell asleep hugging my book. These are only two episodes in my life connected to books, but I think they can clearly explain why, when I had to choose what to study for my Masters I chose Publishing. If it hadn’t been for books I wouldn’t have travelled through time and space as I did and I still do, living incredible adventures and very intense emotions, and now I’ve the chance to be part of the process that gives other people the possibility to live of all that.

Before deciding to follow this path I graduated in Cultural Heritage (Archaeology, Art History, Archival and Library Sciences) at the University of Torino (Italy), following a program that allowed me to acquire knowledge mainly about History, Art and Literature, all things that, I believe, can be useful to me even working in Publishing.  I haven’t decided which area of the Publishing industry I want to work in yet, but this University is giving me the opportunity to learn a lot of things about all the aspects of the Publishing world. At the moment what I know is that being part of the creative process of a book is amazing! When (last year) I started looking for  information about the University of Stirling I knew that this was the right choice for me: I’ve always been completely in love with Scotland, the campus in Stirling is astonishing and the program is very well organized, offering a complete view on the Publishing industry with very practical modules. So, you see… easy choice!

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Having travelled and lived in a range of countries growing up, there was one constant for me and that was – schooling. My deep set love for learning has seen me through my earliest years and has still never left me. Netflix has yet to run dry of documentaries I want to digest and there is no end to the TED Talk archive that I want to devour. I find learning to be one of the most stimulating things at any age or level.

It is this desire to learn that has predominately led me to Stirling University for the MLitt Publishing masters. Having taken an internship at a publishing house in Glasgow, I decided it was the best next-step to take. It’s been such a satisfying course to embark on, primarily because of the direct link it has to the publishing industry. The course is well thought out and serves to mimic scenarios that would seem to appear in a professional setting. Assignments and tasks are set to establish skills to help navigate through certain aspects of the publishing industry. It’s this aspect that really piques my interest because it’s so encouraging learning something that is directly applicable to ‘real-life’ situations.

After completing my English Literature degree at Glasgow University and prior to coming to Stirling, my husband’s work took us to Portland, Oregon. The impression I got whilst living in Portland, was that it seemed to be the epicentre for design. This sparked my curiosity and interest, particularly in relation to communication design. The amount of visual expression throughout the city and amongst new found friends, was fascinating to learn about. One aspect of the course that I’m really enjoying, is the lessons given in InDesign and Photoshop. The level of detail involved brings such a satisfying element to the processes and techniques we’re beginning to understand.

The publishing industry is seemingly vast and dynamic. It proves to be an industry that is constantly evolving and is creative at its core. I’m eager to enter the field and continue my learning. The production, design or marketing side of the industry have caught my attention,  though, the more I learn about the intricacies of the differing roles within publishing, the more open I find myself becoming. I am absolutely thrilled to be studying such a varied and dynamic industry, and with each passing week I seem to be even more taken with a different aspect of it.

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