Recipient of first Gaelic publishing scholarship announced

July 10th, 2013 by cs48@stir.ac.uk | Posted in Blog | Comments Off on Recipient of first Gaelic publishing scholarship announced
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The recipient of the first Gaelic publishing scholarship established by the Gaelic Books Council and the Stirling Centre for International Publishing and Communication at the University of Stirling has been announced.

Liam Crouse, a recent graduate of the University of Edinburgh, is the first recipient of the fully-funded scholarship for the MLitt in Publishing Studies for session 2013-14.

Rosemary Ward, Director of the Gaelic Books Council said: “The Gaelic Books Council is very pleased with the level of interest that has been shown in the Gaelic publishing scholarship and we are delighted to be offering the first scholarship to Liam Crouse. Liam has illustrated that he is an exemplary student having gained a First Class Master of Arts with Honours degree from the School of Scottish Studies at the University of Edinburgh. The Gaelic Books Council is satisfied that he will apply the same commitment, creativity and diligence to his MLitt studies and we anticipate that he will make a valuable contribution to Gaelic publishing in the future.”

She added: “This scholarship was established in the first instance to attract new talent into the sector and to begin the process of increasing capacity. Liam is certainly a talented young man with a strong commitment to the Gaelic language and a secure knowledge of Gaelic literature and publishing and we wish him every success with his studies.”

When the scholarship was offered to him, Liam said: “I am absolutely delighted to be offered this important Gaelic scholarship. It is a wonderful opportunity. In the last ten years, Gaelic literature and publishing has made remarkable progress through various initiatives to support new Gaelic writers. The focus must now be on strengthening the Gaelic publishing infrastructure. The revitalisation of the Gaelic language and the development of Gaelic publishing presents many challenges, and I am delighted to have been given the opportunity to become involved in this important work.”

Professor Claire Squires, Director of the Stirling Centre for International Publishing and Communication said: “We’re very pleased to be working with the Gaelic Books Council to provide this opportunity for a Gaelic-language student on the MLitt in Publishing Studies at Stirling. We are delighted to welcome an outstanding student who brings a passion for the Gaelic language and an international perspective both to the Publishing Studies course and to the Gaelic-speaking community.”

Liam will study at the University’s Stirling campus in session 2013-14 and the Gaelic Books Council will secure appropriate placements for him with Gaelic publisher(s).

More information about the Scholarship is available here.

 

Kate McNamara, MLitt in Publishing Studies 2011-12

July 10th, 2013 by cs48@stir.ac.uk | Posted in Alumni | Comments Off on Kate McNamara, MLitt in Publishing Studies 2011-12
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One of the things that really drew me to the MLitt in Publishing Studies course was how practical the modules were. The classes and lecturers offered a myriad of practical skills through the publishing project, dissertation, and through the way the course was taught. Right from the start we were given group exercises, like making pitches as international companies at rights fairs, and creating marketing materials in a team in a short space of time and presenting them to the class. We were also encouraged to keep on top of what was happening in the publishing world outside of our classroom. All of this also gave me lots to talk about in interviews. We were also exposed to many different aspects of publishing, which was invaluable. When I began the course I was set on becoming an editor but I found myself becoming increasingly interested in marketing as well.

Now I am working as a Sales and Marketing Assistant with McGraw-Hill Education, a thoroughly enjoyable role where I can utilize the software, marketing, communication and design skills which Stirling gave me. It has also really helped in my understanding of how publishing in general works, and my role within the company in particular, and especially in choosing where I wanted to go. The course helped me get the job by giving me the needed skills, allowing me to articulate them in interviews and detail my professional development, and enabling me to prepare the interview tasks, but it also puts me at ease in my work. I can’t recommend it enough.