All staff of the publishing programme come directly from industry, where they honed their skills and knowledge. Most are still working for publishers alongside their teaching.
The programme also draws on the expertise of numerous specialist tutors and industry speakers. Many publishing professionals take classes through the year – whether to teach a core part of the curriculum or take a specialist lesson or simply as a visiting speaker.
 |
Odessa Owens has worked in publishing for over a decade, making award-winning books for Te Papa Press until 2015, when she joined the Whitireia publishing programme. She has a BA in English Language and Linguistics and completed the Diploma in Publishing in 2004. In 2016 she was the convening judge of the PANZ Book Design Awards. |
 |
Marie Hodgkinson is a 2012 graduate of the Diploma in Publishing (Applied). She has worked for Royal Society Te Apārangi, LexisNexis New Zealand and the New Zealand Book Council. Marie runs Paper Road Press, which publishes science fiction and fantasy from Aotearoa New Zealand. |
 |
Theresa Crewdson completed the Diploma in Publishing in 2006 and the Editing Masterclass in 2012. She worked at South Pacific Press/Lift Education for nearly a decade and is now a freelance editor for both local and international clients. |
|
Paula has been involved in the publishing programme since 1994 and has worked in the publishing industry for over 30 years. Her particular expertise is editing, but she also writes, teaches and has been engaged in most aspects of publishing, from commissioning new publications through editing, design, production, marketing, publicity and sales, as well as management. She has worked for small independent firms in New Zealand, in educational publishing in the United States and in government publishing. Today, she is a freelance editor living in Christchurch, specialising in academic editing, working with clients around the world. |
The publishing programme operates under the guidance of an advisory committee, made up of representatives from industry, the community and the polytechnic, including a student representative.
The committee ensures that the programme is teaching the skills and knowledge that employers see as useful and relevant to the needs of their businesses.
Alex Collins, Chief Executive, Lift Education and South Pacific Press
Chris Murray, Head of Content Management, LexisNexis NZ Limited
Pania Tahau-Hodges, Publishing Manager, Huia Publishers
Chris Tse, Editor and Communications Advisor, Office of the Auditor-General (and winner of the Best First Book Award for Poetry at the 2016 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards)
Claire Murdoch, Head of Publishing, Penguin Random House New Zealand
