Scotland

Welcome to the application form for the SYP Scotland mentorship scheme.

This form is for those seeking their first permanent role within the publishing industry, who are based in Scotland.

If you are based elsewhere in the UK and Ireland, please visit the SYP website (https://thesyp.org.uk/mentorships/about-our-scheme/) to find the appropriate form to complete.

Applications open at 09:00 on Thursday 09 October 2025 and close at 23:59 on Sunday 26 October 2025.

Should you have any questions about the SYP Scotland Mentorship Scheme, please refer to the mentorship FAQs page (https://thesyp.org.uk/mentorships/mentorship-faqs/) or contact us at mentorship@thesyp.org.uk.

All answers are for internal use only and will not be shared with any third parties.

Good luck with your application!

SYP Scotland Mentorship Scheme Application 2025

1. Location(Required)

Please select the county you are based in. If you cannot find your county in the drop down list, please refer to the instructions at the beginning of the form or to our FAQs page to learn how to apply.

Your Interest in Publishing

2. Are you an SYP Member?(Required)

Your answer will not affect your application.

3. At what level are you in your career?(Required)

4. Choose your top department of interest in publishing(Required)

To learn more about different publishing departments, visit this page: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QsbwW8SW317zDkgqyacBandzt4Elb5Bu/view

5. Choose your second top department of interest in publishing

To learn more about different publishing departments, visit this page: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1QsbwW8SW317zDkgqyacBandzt4Elb5Bu/view

IMPORTANT: Do you study Publishing at Edinburgh Napier University or The University of Stirling?(Required)

Your Interest in the Mentorship Scheme

6. Why are you interested in a career in publishing? (max. 200 words)(Required)

7. How are you currently engaging in the publishing industry? (max. 200 words)(Required)

8. Why would you want to be mentored? (max. 200 words)(Required)

9. What do you expect to gain out of this scheme? (max. 200 words)(Required)

10. Please specify 3 SMART (specific, measurable, actionable, relevant, time-bound) goals you would like to achieve with the help of your mentor during this mentorship scheme.(Required)

For advice on setting SMART goals, you can visit this page: https://www.centerformentoring.com/your-mentoring-year-tip-6-setting-smart-goals

Personal Details

To ensure equal opportunity for all our applicants, we would like to collect the personal data below from you. Please note that this information will be securely stored by The Society of Young Publishers and will only be used for internal purposes and for a limited period of time. Your details will not be shared with any third parties.

Full name(Required)

Email address(Required)

Pronouns

Ethnicity

Gender

Sexual Orientation

Do you have a disability?

If yes, could you please let us know if you have any requirements?

Are you a carer?

Are you from a working class background?

If you have any questions, please email SYP Scotland Mentorship Lead Mary-Kate McAllister at syp.scotland.info@gmail.com.

SYP Scotland 2025 List of Mentors

Nikki Simpson

Founder of the International Magazine Centre

Passionate about magazines and publishing, Nikki has worked in the industry since 2006 and founded the International Magazine Centre in 2018. The International Magazine Centre supports small businesses working in magazine publishing through events, training, mentoring and more. She is also Operations Director for the International Magazine Media Association, FIPP.

Grace Balfour-Harle

Senior Desk Editor at Edinburgh University Press

After graduating with a publishing MSc, Grace was a Content Producer for DC Thomson’s Beano comic. In 2023, she moved to Edinburgh University Press, won the Saltire Society’s Emerging Publisher Award 2023, and was promoted to Senior Desk Editor in 2025. In addition to her day job, Grace was the Co-Chair of SYP Scotland 2021–23.

Alastair Horne

Programme Director for Publishing Studies at the University of Stirling

After working in publishing for more than a decade at Cambridge University Press — as Project Manager, Innovations Manager, and Social Media and Communities Manager — Alastair Horne now lectures in publishing at the University of Stirling, where he specialises in digital publishing, marketing, and academic publishing. His research focuses on publishing for smartphones, including location-based and interactive storytelling. He also writes books for Amber Publishing, his most recent title is Dragons and Mythical Beasts.

Francesca Barbini

Director of Luna Press Publishing

Francesca T Barbini is an award-winning editor, and a translator. Founder and director of Luna Press Publishing, she is currently completing a PhD in Publishing at Edinburgh Napier University.

Alex Orr

Marketing Assistant at John Murray Specialist, Hachette

Alex has work across a variety of imprints, supporting the team to run digital advertising, newsletter, and social media campaigns. Alex was previously part of Hodder & Stoughton’s Marketing team on Hachette’s Traineeship scheme. They received the University Medal and a Distinction in MSc Publishing from Edinburgh Napier University.

Emma Holak

Production Editorial Manager at Jessica Kingsley Publishers, part of John Murray Group, Hachette

Emma graduated from her MSc in Publishing at Edinburgh Napier University and has been working at JKP since 2014. She manages the production editorial team, as well as project managing books from receipt of the manuscript up until the book is sent to the printers. Managing the process includes supporting authors, working with freelancers and ensuring that schedules and budgets are on track.

Lucy Threadgold

Emerald Publishing Peer Review Editor Lead

Lucy Threadgold is a Peer Review Lead at Emerald Publishing, focusing on peer review improvement strategies and research into AI-driven peer review tools. She joined Emerald Publishing in 2021 as a Peer Review Editor, a systems and policy role, where she split her time between educational and investigative queries. She previously volunteered with En-Gender, an interdisciplinary journal for researchers of all levels on gender in the humanities, cultural studies and social sciences, where she reviewed papers and helped organise the 2021 conference.

Avril Gray

Interim Head of Department of Publishing and Creative Writing at Edinburgh Napier University

Avril Gray is an accomplished academic and publishing professional with over fourteen years at Edinburgh Napier University, where she currently serves as Interim Head of the Department of Publishing and Creative Writing. With extensive experience as a publisher – Founder of Scottish Children’s Press and Manager of Merchiston Publishing, Programme Leader, and Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, she has made significant contributions to publishing education and industry practice in the UK.

Catherine Aitken

Publishing Project Editor at National Galleries Scotand

Catherine started her career as an Editorial Assistant for a large academic publisher. For the last 9 years, she has worked in project management roles publishing illustrated books and journals on Scottish history, heritage and archaeology, and art and art history.

Alison Rae

Birlinn Senior Editor (Polygon) and freelance copy-editor

Alison has over twenty years’ experience as a freelance publishing professional, working with clients such as Canongate, Omnibus and Polaris, with a background in music, the arts and marketing.