A journey in Publishing with Ella Percival
Ella Percival is Head of Corporate Affairs at Oxford University Press where she has worked since graduating with a degree in English Literature & French in 2014.
Outside of work, Ella spends her time exploring the Oxfordshire countryside and enjoying the company of her partner and two cats.
To celebrate Work in Publishing week we asked Ella some questions about her journey in the publishing industry.
Hello! First up can you tell us a little about your current role at Oxford University Press? What does your usual day look like?
I’m currently the Head of Corporate Affairs at Oxford University Press (OUP). This is a new (and very exciting) role for me although I’ve worked at OUP since I left university.
As Head of Corporate Affairs, my job spans our whole global business, overseeing internal communications to colleagues, media relations, and corporate social responsibility activities. I love working in Communications because no two days are the same – I can go from perfecting a slide deck to talking to a journalist in a matter of minutes!
How did you get into publishing and how would you describe your journey to your current role as Head of Corporate Affairs?
I started working in publishing through a paid internship at OUP. I didn’t have loads of publishing experience, but I’d always had an interest in books and the arts sector, including working as a library assistant when I was at school.
My internship was in Communications in the academic and research publishing area of the business, and I’d describe my journey from there as saying yes to lots of different things as they came up and working them out as I went. I worked on a major digital platform project which helped me really understand our customers and then I got to try my hand at PR with the Oxford Languages team. Most recently, I was the Communications Lead for the English Language Teaching division at OUP which allowed me to return to a very personal love of language and language learning.
In publishing, our work is all about representing what is happening in the world, so you find yourself surrounded by people who truly care about making it a happier, more inclusive, more sustainable place.
How would you describe the publishing industry and what do you enjoy most about working in publishing?
The publishing industry is much broader than you might imagine. From curating the lexical data that sits behind some of the most cutting-edge technology in the world to creating digital learning resources for school students to commissioning and developing academic monographs on topics you couldn’t even imagine, there is so much going on everywhere you look.
For me, the thing I enjoy most is how passionate people are, not just about their work but also about the world around them. In publishing, our work is all about representing what is happening in the world, so you find yourself surrounded by people who truly care about making it a happier, more inclusive, more sustainable place.
Do you have a memorable achievement or moment from working in publishing that you can share?
One of the things I have enjoyed most in my career is helping to demystify and tell compelling stories about language, be that through our dictionaries or our ELT materials. Language is so emotive so it’s always a thrill to see your colleagues using their incredible knowledge to help people to appreciate how language evolves to represent and capture our society.
What advice or top tips would you give to someone who is considering a career in publishing?
My advice would be to think about what your skills are and what you really love to do because, whatever that is, there will be a place for you to apply it in publishing.
Like all industries, we’re always searching for the brightest minds to join us and be a part of the future of our industry, so don’t think that it’s all working through piles of paper!
This interview with Ella Percival at Oxford University Press was written for Work in Publishing week for publishers.org.uk. Find out more about Work in Publishing week here.