New publisher at Otago UP

The University of Otago has appointed a new Publisher to head up its flagship publishing house, Otago University Press.

Rachel Scott (pictured), the Canterbury University Press publisher for the past five years, has moved to Otago University Press, following the retirement of Wendy Harrex, who leaves after 20 years in the role of Publisher.

Deputy Vice-Chancellor Research and Enterprise Professor Richard Blaikie welcomed Rachel to OUP - one of New Zealand’s oldest and most successful University presses.

“We are extremely fortunate to have attracted a person of Rachel’s qualifications and calibre to this role, and we are all very much looking forward to working with her,” he says.

“We also wish her predecessor Wendy well for her future endeavours. Her dedicated service has resulted in a wide range of publications that have kept Otago University Press in extremely high standing.”

Each year Otago publishes about 20 scholarly and general books on subjects within New Zealand and the Pacific, with special emphasis on history, literature, the arts and natural and social sciences. Books about the South Island and Otago University also feature strongly. The Press also publishes New Zealand's longest-running literary journal, Landfall; as well as other poetry and educational titles. Under the stewardship of Wendy Harrex, the Press has grown from a small part-time operation to a highly regarded international publishing house.

Publisher Rachel Scott’s early career includes freelance book editing and designing for almost two decades prior to her role with the Canterbury University Press, working for a number of publishers. She also spent 10 years as a sub-editor at the New Zealand Listener, as well as seven years teaching sub-editing to journalism diploma students at the University of Canterbury.

Rachel says she is looking forward to the move to Dunedin and to her new position.