The Dryad Press/ Stellenbosch University Publishing Internship Programme
Dryad Press (Dryad) is excited to announce the formal launch of a student internship programme first piloted in 2019. The initiative is a collaboration with Stellenbosch University’s (SU) English Department and offers a student from the department the opportunity to experience the multi-dimensional world of publishing, under the mentorship of Dryad’s founder, Michèle Betty. Dryad was established in 2016 as an independent literary press dedicated to contemporary South African poetry. It has published both new and established poets, among them award-winners Beverly Rycroft, Sally Ann Murray and Tony Ullyatt. Publisher Michèle Betty is also the editor of New Contrast: South African Literary Journal. The internship is an initiative encouraged under Sally Ann Murray’s leadership as Chair of the SU English Department; going forward, colleagues in the department will oversee the selection process of the intern by shortlisting candidates (ideally postgraduates enrolled for English Honours or Masters). Dryad Press will interview potential interns, one of whom will be selected for the 24-week internship programme. Applicants require strong writing skills and administrative potential, and an interest in local literary culture.
For more information email us at business@dryadpress.co.za.
The Interns
Ashley Allard
It is that time of year again and Dryad Press and Stellenbosch University are delighted to announce that Ashley Allard has been selected to intern with Dryad Press for 6 months for the period July-Dec 2023. Ashley is currently completing her honours degree in English at Stellenbosch University. Her honours research topic explores the contemporary vision of the ‘ideal feminine’ through an analysis of Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s critically acclaimed show ‘Fleabag’. Ashley is the co-editor of a youth magazine named Moyé, which focusses on uplifting young South African creatives and their work. She is also a journalist writing for the Stellenbosch News and was the first runner-up for the Sol Plaatje European Union Poetry Award in 2022. She plans on completing a master’s degree and continuing her writing and professional endeavours in the years to come. We take this opportunity to thank everyone who submitted their CV’s for this programme. We congratulate Ashley on her appointment and look forward to working with her at Dryad.
Cleo Biscombe
Dryad Press and Stellenbosch University (SU) are delighted to announce that Cleo Biscombe has been selected to intern with Dryad Press for 6 months for the period Jun-Nov 2022. Cleo is a postgraduate student from Stellenbosch University who has recently completed her MA through the SU department of English Studies. Cleo’s MA submission consists of original short stories that engage existing, as well as alternative approaches to articulating so-called “coloured” experiences in contemporary English literature. She will commence her PhD at SU in 2022/2023 academic year and will focus her writing and research on interrogating shame as a form of residual colonial violence experienced by “coloured female” figures in contemporary South African texts. We take this opportunity to thank everyone who submitted their CV’s for this programme and we congratulate Cleo on her appointment and look forward to working with her at Dryad.
Sarah Uheida
The intern selected for 2020 is Sarah Uheida, who is currently completing her BA, majoring in English. She is a poet with several credits to her name, and an experimental memoirist whose work has garnered expressions of interest from publishers. We congratulate Sarah on her appointment as the Dryad intern, and wish her a productive six month stint at Dryad, from June to December 2020.
Caryn Leigh Oram
The recipient of the pilot internship in 2019 was SU English Honours student Caryn Leigh Oram. Caryn says that her “time as an intern provided the opportunity to gain invaluable knowledge and experience in the literary industry. Under Michèle’s guidance, I was able to refine my industry skills, learn the publishing process and, of course, read exceptional poetry. The internship programme is a brilliant opportunity.”
