Bournemouth University launches own publishing house to promote aspiring authors

Fresher Publishing, which is based at BU’s Media School, will provide support to students striving to get their work published and offer a platform for new writers.

At its launch, which took place at Kino in Bournemouth Square on Tuesday, April 8, the house showcased its first publication, Fresh, a collection of short stories produced entirely by final year BU students.

The project has been driven by Fresher’s editorial director, Emma Scattergood who is a senior lecturer in Communication and Media at BU.

She said: “We are delighted to be launching Fresher – and its first book – and are looking forward to growing as a platform for new writing talent in Dorset.”

She added: “Having our own publishing press is a great way of allowing our students to get valuable practical experience and, I hope, will go a step further in establishing Bournemouth, and especially the university, as a centre of creative writing.”

During the launch, authors were invited to read excerpts from their short stories.

And the Most Promising Student Writer Award, which was created to celebrate the achievements of the student writers who contributed to the book Fresh, was awarded to Communications and Media student Charlotte Clifton for her short story ‘Scales’.

She said: “It feels fantastic to know that all the hard work has paid off and quite surreal to see my writing in a published book.

She added: “I'm absolutely thrilled to win the award, especially as there was so much talent to choose from – being recognised for something that I love to do is so wonderful and has really given me the confidence to get back to my desk and keep writing.”

As well as supporting aspiring writers, students will also be given the opportunity to gain experience in publishing by taking on various roles within the publishing house.

For more information about the publishing house, or if you are interested in submitting a piece of writing, go to fresherpublishing.co.uk