Hello, I’m Charlotte Mörsch, not born but definitely raised in the very north of Germany and therefore happiest when the sea is not more than two hours’ drive away. An avid and early reader whose parents at times resorted to taking out the bedside lamp’s lightbulb in a futile attempt to discourage late night reading, I’ve known I wanted to work in the publishing industry ever since watching You’ve Got Mail as a child. And yes, the irony of first discovering the possibility of making a living out of producing books in a film is not lost on me.
During my undergraduate, I studied Scandinavian Studies at the University of Bonn. The course taught me the necessary skills to give in to my love of analyzing literature through different theoretical approaches. At some point, most literature students find a particular theory they return to again and again, because applying its various angles to different works never stops yielding fascinating results (or so they say). For me, what started with a single presentation about gender theory ended in a Bachelor’s Thesis about genre, gender and Stieg Larsson’s Millenium trilogy, as well as an ongoing interest in representation in literature, be it science fiction or history books. My thesis also left me with a taste for crime fiction I hadn’t previously realized I had.
After two very rewarding and interesting editorial internships in German publishing houses, which taught me the basics of proofreading, copy-editing, typesetting and layout, it became clear to me that during my time as an undergraduate, I was sorely missing a more practical approach to books and the industry surrounding them. I was very happy when the University of Stirling accepted me and I am now looking forward to the experiences which await me as I study here and become more familiar with the Scottish and British publishing industry. I hope to have a chance to apply what I learned during my previous internships and to learn more about those parts of the industry I don’t know yet.
When I’m not studying or reading (my favorite authors are Jane Austen and Terry Pratchett), I watch and talk about a lot of movies and TV shows, spend a probably equal amount of time complaining about Germany’s national football team, and go on long, rambling walks which end with me getting lost and discovering wonderful places I can never find my way back to.