North


As the North division of the SYP, we cover opportunities in the North of England – supporting aspiring and junior publishing professionals from all backgrounds to take the early steps in their careers through events and networking.

Our story

The North branch of the Society of Young Publishers was established in 2011. Along with the decentralisation of the publishing industry – as major players such as Hachette UK opened offices in Newcastle, Sheffield and Manchester – SYP North functions to tackle the ‘London-centric’ nature of the book industry.

What we’re up to

There has been a surge of activity and focus on the industry in the North of England in recent years. We’ve developed loyal working relationships with the region’s best publishing houses, universities and literature festivals to inspire and support young and aspiring publishers in their careers.

At the Society of Young Publishers North, we rely on a team of devoted volunteers to help us run our events, write our newsletters and blog posts, keep our social media updated, and create our podcasts.

From online panels covering the varied routes into a publishing career to in-person social mixers and spotlights of regional presses, our events are the best way to keep informed and get involved. With a broad suite of topics and formats, these events are designed to demystify publishing and open up the conversation to everyone, regardless of employment status.

Areas we cover

Predominantly dividing our in-person events between the larger creative hubs in the North from Manchester and Sheffield to Newcastle and Liverpool, we’re dedicated to opening up the entire region to publishing and publishing-adjacent opportunities.

The Society of Young Publishers North covers:

  • Cumbria,
  • County Durham
  • Yorkshire (North, East, South and West)
  • Greater Manchester
  • Lancashire
  • Merseyside
  • Northumberland
  • Tyne & Wear

If you’re based within the region and would love to see an event in your local area, do get in touch to register your interest – and we’ll see what we can do!

Not just a resource, but a community

SYP North isn’t just here to provide resources and information; we’re a community. Through our newsletter, social channels, blog, and networking events, we want to create a community of publishing enthusiasts who are as dedicated to uplifting each other as they are to job-seeking.

One of the constant topics of conversation will, of course, be regional diversity in the publishing industry. But we are also driven to keep everything we do inclusive to encourage and support those who aren’t traditionally represented in publishing to take up the space they deserve.

From our Mentorship Scheme to our SYP Alumni Network, we hope to carve out a safe and positive environment for those from and based in the North.

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Our committee

Caitíe Woolridge - Co-Chair

Caitíe Woolridge

Co-Chair

she/her

Sales Assistant at Mare Nostrum Group

Laura Lewis - Co-Chair

Laura Lewis

Co-Chair

she/her

Centre Administrator at Newcastle University

Ellen Byrne - Treasurer and Secretary

Ellen Byrne

Treasurer and Secretary

she/her

MA Publishing Student at MMU

Jess Hill - Communications Officer (Social media)

Jess Hill

Communications Officer (Social media)

she/her

English Language and Literature student at University of Leeds

Tom Barker - Communications Officer (Email marketing)

Tom Barker

Communications Officer (Email marketing)

he/him

Commissioning Assistant (Journals) at Emerald Publishing

Katie Siddall - Events Officer

Katie Siddall

Events Officer

they/them

Marketing Assistant at the Mare Nostrum Group

Aarzu Salek - Events Officer

Aarzu Salek

Events Officer

she/her

Business Support Administrator

Sara Young - Digital Content Officer (Podcast)

Sara Young

Digital Content Officer (Podcast)

she/her

Student at YSJ

Sophie Austen - Digital Content Officer (Blog)

Sophie Austen

Digital Content Officer (Blog)

she/her

Isobel Dixon - Student Outreach Officer

Isobel Dixon

Student Outreach Officer

she/her

MA Publishing Student at UCLAN

Rachel Robinson - Mentorship and Membership Officer

Rachel Robinson

Mentorship and Membership Officer

she/her

Retail Team Leader

Fiona Wilkinson - Inclusivity Officer

Fiona Wilkinson

Inclusivity Officer

MA Publishing Student