By Georgia Appleyard and Olivia Ek
Applications are now open for the 2023 Carole Blake Open Doors Project. The programme is run by the Blake Friedmann Literary Agency and is aimed at “encouraging candidates from a diverse range of backgrounds to enter the publishing industry.”
Set up shortly after the death of Carol Blake in 2016, the programme continues her endeavors and support of colleagues and publishing hopefuls.
This year, there are two opportunities available: a ten-day internship as well as a six month mentorship.
The first opportunity is an internship which will take place in June 2023, and can be taken in person, completely remotely or as a hybrid of the two. The selected applicant will do up to ten days of paid work shadowing, either over a consecutive two-week period, or spread out across one month. The internship includes close mentorship with book agents and opportunities to attend meetings with all kinds of publishing professionals.
The aim of the internship is for candidates to gain knowledge of working for a leading literary agency, to gain experience to include on job applications and CVs as well as establishing new and essential relationships in the industry.
The second opportunity is a six-month mentorship with Blake Friedmann, led by Juliet Pickering. The aim of the mentorship scheme is for the chosen candidate to find out more about publishing, get to know the role of literary agent as well as the work of the agency, and to provide guidance on a future career.
The mentorship will begin in the summer, and include one online meeting per month of up to an hour, with the possibility of an in-person meeting if mutually convenient. This opportunity is suitable for candidates who may have full or part-time commitments. The mentor and mentee will determine the structure of the mentorship together to best suit the mentee’s aims and other commitments.
Applications for both opportunities are open until 5:00 p.m. on Monday 8 May. Find out more information here.