After a successful second year running the SYP mentorship in the North, we are back in 2025 with both Into and Ahead streams. Our mentorship program offers a structured platform to enhance your skills, expand your network, and navigate the publishing landscape with confidence.
What the Scheme Entails
Official Mentoring Period: Embrace a 6-month journey of tailored mentorship.
One-on-One Virtual Meetings: Engage in a minimum of 4 formal one-on-one virtual sessions with your mentor.
Virtual Social Event: Connect with fellow mentors and mentees from across the UK through our engaging virtual social event.
Mentorship Streams
Into: Tailored for individuals seeking their first permanent role in the industry.
Ahead: Designed for industry professionals aiming to elevate their career trajectory, and take the next steps.
Meet the SYP North Mentors for 2025
Emma Ferguson (she/her)
Senior Commissioning Editor at Emerald Publishing
I’m a Senior Journals Commissioning Editor for Emerald Publishing, having started at Emerald in 2021 as a Commissioning Assistant. In my day-to-day role, I run a portfolio of journals in HR and Organization Studies, line manage one of our Commissioning Assistants and lead our Manuscript Transfer Service.
Helena Doree (she/her)
Senior Rights Manager at Little, Brown Book Group and John Murray Press
I am a rights professional with nearly eighteen years of experience in selling rights in adult trade publishing at Hachette. I am responsible for maximising rights income in a variety of territories whilst ensuring the highest standards of author and agent care. I live in Derby and work from Hachette’s Sheffield office.
Jonathan Paterson (he/him)
Commercial Director at Octopus Publishing Group, Hachette
Jonathan Paterson began his trip down from the North East of England by way of Salford University studying Sociology and Cultural Studies and lived in Manchester for many years working in the finance department of the world-famous Lowry Centre art galleries and theatre. He began his publishing career in London at Transworld but now he is Commercial Director at Hachette UK’s Octopus Publishing Group. He lives in Manchester and London.
Georgina Bulga (she/her)
Publishing and Operations Executive for Cambridge University Press and Assessment. Secretary and Social Media Lead for the Children’s Books North Network
I currently work as Publishing and Operations Executive for Cambridge University Press and Assessment; this role is within the English department where I focus on editorial work and business support for primary and secondary school academic books. I have an MA in Publishing from The Manchester Metropolitan University, where I gained skills and experience in a range of areas in the industry, such as: Digital Content Production, Commissioning and Editorial, Book Design and Production. Alongside my full time job, I volunteer as Secretary and Social Media Lead for the Children’s Books North committee.
Benjamin Powell-Mills (he/him)
Program Manager, Taylor & Francis Group
Ben has a decade of experience working in various Operations roles in academic publishing. At present, he works in Continuous Improvement, primarily focused on delivering strategic enterprise capabilities in process automation and agentic AI. Outside his daily remit, Ben is a UK/EMEA Co-Lead for Informa’s colleague-run Pride network, AllInforma Rainbow, and is the Founder and Chair of the LGBTIAQ+ Cross-Publisher Collective. Ben is also an experienced mentor and reverse mentor to senior leadership, colleague contact for new starters, and has served a term as an elected Global Colleague Forum representative.
James Keane (he/him)
Production and Arts Director at Northodox Press
James has worked in production for over a decade, first with HarperCollins at HQ/Mills & Boon in London and later with the Fitch Group in Manchester. For the past five years, he has acted as Production and Arts Director at Northodox Press, an indie publisher based in Manchester and Sheffield.
Adam Lowe (he/him mostly)
Publicist for Peepal Tree Press and Editor-in-Chief at Dog Horn Publishing
Adam Lowe is a Leeds-born writer, performer and publisher living in Manchester. He is the UK’s LGBT+ History Month Poet Laureate and was Yorkshire’s Poet for 2012. He writes poetry, plays and fiction, and occasionally performs in drag as Beyonce Holes. Adam is a graduate of The Complete Works, Obsidian and Inscribe. Adam is Chair of Black Gold Arts and a board member of Schools OUT UK, the charity that founded LGBT+ History Month in the UK. He was one of the founders of #MEAction UK, as well as Young Enigma and Vada Magazine. Adam runs Dog Horn Publishing and handles publicity for Peepal Tree Press. Adam has a BA (Hons) and MA from the University of Leeds, and is studying for a PhD at the University of Manchester. His debut poetry collection Patterflash (Peepal Tree Press, 2023) is a PBS Recommendation, receiving acclaim from The Big Issue and featuring on BBC radio.
Shannon Kneis (she/they)
Senior Commissioning Editor, Social Sciences at Manchester University Press
Shannon is currently the Senior Commissioning Editor for social sciences at Manchester University Press.They previously worked at Bristol University Press and Routledge. She is passionate and active about the social sciences, the impact of academic research in wider society, and making the publishing industry more equitable.
Emma Leask (she/her)
Production Editor at Bloomsbury Academic
I am a Production Editor in Bloomsbury’s Academic department, after getting my first publishing job here in August 2023 as a Production Assistant. I completed my Master’s in Publishing in 2023 at York St John University where I also set up a micro press with a friend within which we have published two anthologies together.
Jessica Thompson (she/her)
Senior Digital Sales & Marketing Coordinator at Manchester University Press
Jessica Thompson has worked in academic publishing for over five years. Since graduating with an MA in Publishing from UCLan, she has gone on to work at Liverpool University Press as their Sales Administrator in January 2020 before being promoted to their Library Sales & Marketing Executive and later to their Senior Digital Sales & Marketing Executive to work on the sales and marketing of their digital collections. In January 2025, she started in her current role of Senior Digital Sales & Marketing Coordinator at Manchester University Press where she continues to work on the sales and marketing of digital products to university libraries.
Carys Vickers (she/her)
Marketing and Communications Manager at New Writing North
Carys is Marketing and Communications Manager at New Writing North, the north’s literature development agency, where she coordinates social media, newsletters and general marketing across the organisation. She received a Rising Star Award from The Printing Charity in 2024 and has a BA in American Studies from Northumbria University. Carys is based in Northumberland.
Josh Moorby (he/him)
Key Account Manager at DK
I studied my MA in Publishing at the University of Central Lancashire, and currently work as a Key Account Manager in the DK UK Sales team. This role covers the entirety of our list, including children’s books, genre fiction, cookery, and special sales.
Apply Now
The next round of applications for the Northern branch opens on 19 May 2025 at 09:00 and closes on Sunday 15 June 2025 at 23:59. Don’t miss this opportunity to kickstart your publishing journey!
If you’re ready to embark on this enriching experience as a mentee, submit your application through our website.
Apply for the mentorship Into Stream.
Apply for the mentorship Ahead Stream.
Connect with Us
Got any lingering questions about the SYP North mentorship scheme? Refer to our FAQ page or reach out to us via email. Ensure you receive our notifications by adding northmembership@thesyp.org.uk to your list of safe senders in your email account.