Presenter Details

Michelle van der Merwe joined UBC Press in 2018 as a production editor after having served as the publisher for the Royal BC Museum for three years. In 2021, she moved into the position of assistant director, production and editorial services where, essentially, she runs the production department and manages a team of four full-time production editors, one assistant editor, and countless freelancers. Over the past twenty-plus years, Michelle has also worked as an in-house technical writer and editor, as editor-in-chief of a home and lifestyle magazine, and as a freelance editor with a broad range of clients. Her post-secondary fields of study were graphic design, journalism, creative writing, and editing. She has been a contributing member on various boards and committees throughout her career and is an active member of Books BC, the Association of Canadian Publishers, and the Association of University Presses. In 2018 she was a finalist for the Tom Fairley Award for Excellence in Editing for her work on The Language of Family (RBCM 2017), which was also recognized for its design and production by the Alcuin Society (2nd place, Prose Illustrated) and PubWest (Gold Award, Adult Trade Illustrated; Judges' Choice Award). Michelle is currently the chair of the AUPresses Book, Jacket, and Journal Show Committee.