Occasional Series on Australian Editors (OSAE)

Occasional Series Project Update – September 2007

The principal aim of the Occasional Series on Australian Editors (OSAE) oral, print, pictorial and digital archive project is to raise the profile of editors and promote the editing profession.

The concept for the Occasional Series was initially sparked by One of the First and One of the Finest, commissioned by Lisa Berryman and published by the Society of Editors (Victoria). For more information or to purchase copies, complete the order form.

The Occasional Series working group first met in November 2004, with the aim of scoping the Occasional Series project, liaising with state and territory societies of editors and planning a program of activities for the Series.

In 2005 we hosted a panel session, ‘Some of the finest: honorary life members’ at the national editors conference in Melbourne (13–15 October). Editors and honorary life members who participated in the panel were Sheila Allison (Tasmania), Pamela Ball (South Australia), Loma Snooks (Canberra), Lee White and participating chair, Renée Otmar (Victoria). The working group recorded the panel session, and facilitated and recorded interviews with eight honorary life members at the 2005 conference:

• Beryl Hill in conversation with Wendy Sutherland
• Loma Snooks in conversation with Renée Otmar
• Robyn Colman in conversation with Lee White
• Sheila Allison in conversation with Pamela Ball

The first monograph in the planned Series Editors in Conversation includes the panel session and interviews recorded at the 2005 conference. Editors in Conversation (Australian Scholarly Publishing) was launched at the Institute of Professional Editors 2007 conference in Hobart (9–12 May). For more information or to purchase copies, complete the appropriate order form (different rates apply for national and international orders).     

In 2007 the Occasional Series working group will continue to facilitate and record interviews with particular Honorary Life Members for the second monograph in the Series to be published in 2009. The working group will post updates on the website, and occasional articles will be published in state and territory society newsletters. We will continue to generate and seek wider promotion and publication of Occasional Series oral, print, pictorial and digital material on Australian editors.

Diane Brown (convenor)

T. +61 3 9718 1358

E. dianeb@netspace.net.au

OSAE 2007 working group: Kerry Biram, Diane Brown & Jenny Craig