Panel about the Publishing Industry

On November 18, 2022, from 10:30 to noon, the Georgetown’s English Graduate Student Association (EGSA) and the Department of English is hosting a panel about the publishing industry, where various publishing professionals will travel from NY to speak with graduate students on the publishing industry, their roles, how they started. This event is open to other disciplines, since each of the speakers majored in different subjects that may pertain to other departments.

The panelists include:

• James Jayo (Senior Editor; Countryman Press, W. W. Norton): James Jayo graduated from Boston University with a double major in English and Classics, and a minor in magazine publishing, continuing at BU to complete an MA in Editorial Studies. He attended the Columbia Publishing Course and started his publishing career at Arcade Publishing. Throughout his career James has held editorial positions at Lyons Press, Sterling-the publishing arm of Barnes & Noble, and Penguin Books. He is currently a senior editor at Countryman Press, the practical imprint of W. W. Norton & Co., Inc. In his nearly 20 years in publishing, he has acquired and edited more than 150 books including New York Times best sellers and industry award winners. Although he has worked on a mix of narratives and practical titles, he has gained industry recognition for his work on cocktail and wine books.
• Joelle Dieu (Subsidiary Rights Director; Grand Central Publishing, Hachette): Joelle Dieu joined the Hachette Book group as a Subsidiary Rights Director in 2019, after 15 years with Penguin Random House. She oversees subsidiary rights for the Grand Central Publishing, Hachette Nashville, and Hachette Books divisions. A native of Singapore who moved to the US to attend Duke University she graduated in 2002 with a double major in Linguistics and Italian, and a minor in German. She began her career in publishing in book scouting at Maria B. Campbell Associates, before joining then-Random House- as a rights assistance in 2004. Over the years she has worked on licensing rights internationally for a wide-ranging list of books, from literary prize winners to commercial bestsellers, by authors such as Elizabeth Strout, George Saunders, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Colleen Hoover and Andrew Morton. When she isn’t working, you’ll find her at the beach, or plotting her next adventure abroad.

• Dina Vakser (International Sales Specialist; W. W. Norton [trade and college divisions]): Dina Vakser is an International Sales Specialist at W. W. Norton where she has worked in the International Sales department for 10 years. Initially working as an intern in the College Psychology division, she was hired as an International Sales Assistant in 2012. She sells Norton’s English language titles — including Trade, College, Professional and Client publishers — to Asia, Australia, as well as Latin and South America. She graduated with Honors from the City University of New York, Hunter College with a major in English, concentration in British Literature, and a minor in European History. Prior to W. W. Norton she interned wiht the Andrea & Charles Bronfman Philanthropies. She was born in the U.S.S.R. and lived in Israel for several years before immigrating to the U.S. In her spare time she likes to travel, binge TV, and of course, read. She is also an avid stamp collector.

For more information about this event, please contact Alexis Young .