Mabel Gibson earns internship with Fremantle Press

Fremantle Press is pleased to announce Mabel Gibson will join our team, thanks to an Open Book Australian Publishing Internship.

Mabel is one of four aspiring professionals who will work with publishing hosts from around Australia in an initiative that aims to provide a comprehensive introduction to our industry. Administered by the Australian Publishing Association (APA), the internship focuses on providing real-life experience and pathways for a long-term career in publishing.

Alex Allan, CEO of Fremantle Press and Vice President of the APA, said the program was an essential part of attracting and retaining talent. She said, ‘We have to make our industry more accessible for people from diverse backgrounds in order for us to reach readers and writers from all walks of life. This is an industry often fed by unpaid internships undertaken by people who can afford to do so. This paid internship allows more people the opportunity to try publishing as a career.’

Alex said Mabel, with her already impressive background in writing and editing, was the perfect fit. She said, ‘Mabel will undertake projects for both editorial and marketing to give her the broadest possible understanding of how independent publishing operates.’

Mabel Gibson is a Yamatji woman living, reading and writing in Western Australia. Mabel’s writing has been featured in multiple anthologiespublished by Magabala Books, Portside Review, Artery Zine and Night Parrot Press. Mabel has been invited to writers’ festivals across the country, including Emerging Writers Festival and Festival of Fiction. In 2024, Mabel was awarded a grant to undergo a mentorship with Night Parrot Press, as well as write her debut book CryBaby.

Fremantle Press and UWAP will collaborate on the project, each hosting Mabel for a quarter of a year. Other host publishers include Allen & Unwin, Cambridge University Press, Giramondo, Hardie Grant Publishing and UQP.