Rise in independent publishing sparks new courses at York St John University

York Centre for Writing, based at York St John University, is to become the first institution in Yorkshire to offer an MA in Publishing. It will also run courses combining publishing with creative writing or contemporary literature. 

Prompted by the rise in independent publishing, the courses have been developed with input from independent publishers and specifically to champion the small presses. The course will prepare students for a career in all areas of publishing, exposing them to a diverse range of emergent voices and themes in contemporary publishing. 

The York Centre for Writing is thriving creative community based at York St John University. It houses undergraduate and postgraduate courses in creative writing and literature. It acts as a hub for a number of exciting writing events, projects and publications in collaboration with Valley Press, York Literature Festival, and other community partners. 

The Centre is well established within the small press network, with several of the writers on the team having published their work with independent presses. The Centre’s annual anthology, Beyond the Walls, is published in collaboration with Scarborough-based Valley Press. Students will have the opportunity to develop their skills and experience by working on this anthology, as well as the Centre’s journal The York Literary Review, taking the publication from concept to distribution. 

Dr Liesl King, Associate Head of School of Humanities at York St John University says: “These new courses allow students to develop specific, employment-related skills in preparation for a range of roles within the publishing industry. They will prove attractive to anyone who loves books and is keen to work in an industry which enables writers to find an audience.” 

Jamie McGarry from Valley Press adds: “We are immensely excited about collaboration opportunities with new publishing minds and, in the longer term, the scope to expand the publishing reputation in the North.” 

The York Centre for Writing