I am a Literature and History student at McGill focusing on Canadian, and more specifically Montreal, literature and history. In my second semester at McGill, I took a class about book history, which opened my eyes to the importance of different agents within the publishing industry. I began to understand that editors, proofreaders, publishers, and typesetters, to name a few, are just as important as writers in the making of a book. This class, Materiality and Sociology of the Text with Professor Eli MacLaren, mentioned Véhicule Press and its influence in the field of Canadian literature. Indeed, Véhicule Press is a small publishing company which operates out of Montreal. They publish poetry, fiction, and social history by Canadian authors and for a Canadian audience. This is perfectly in line with my fields of study and areas of interest. Before I even learned Véhicule partnered with the Arts Internship Office to hire students, I reached out to them inquiring about an internship because I knew I wanted to understand the ins and outs of publishing in my city. I chose Véhicule, not only because I had learned about it in class, but also because I appreciated that, as an English press in Montreal, Véhicule was dedicated to translating francophone Québécois fiction to make it accessible to local and out-of-province anglophones. As a French-Canadian myself, it is touching to see how Véhicule honours and appreciates the literature which surrounds it, whether French or English.
The prize awarded me by the AIO was indispensable to my internship experience. For student workers like me, summer is an invaluable time for working long hours and saving money. I simply could not have afforded to take as much time off from my part-time job as I did this summer if it were not for the prize I was awarded. The generosity of the office allowed me to dedicate my summer to working with Véhicule in a position which will help me and my career goals down the line. I was able to put 100% into this internship, and I was rewarded with a feeling of accomplishment, but also with a new passion. To both the AIO and Véhicule, I am incredibly grateful because, and I don’t say this lightly, these 12-weeks at Véhicule have completely changed my life.
Learning about the ins and outs of the publishing industry, I realized that I enjoyed the minutia of proofreading, factchecking, or keyboarding manuscripts even more than I previously thought. I gained confidence in my skills as my supervisors entrusted me with important work and valued my opinions. I was inspired to take classes in copyediting and proofreading to improve my skills and learn how to market them in the future. I was even contacted by Véhicule after the end of my internship with the possibility to continue working with them on a contract-to-contract basis, allowing me to expand my professional experience even further.
Most of all, I witnessed, first hand, the literary community in Montreal as I attended book launches and spoke to people who read and loved the books Véhicule published. I knew, more and more, that I wanted to upend my intended career path– I would not complete an MA in literature like originally planned, but would apply to an MPub, and begin a career in publishing. This was cemented in me when I attended Véhicule’s 50th anniversary event, and I witnessed the group of 150+ people who showed up to celebrate Véhicule’s legacy as a small giant in its field, and to appreciate the individuals behind books loved by its clientele. While this internship was not completed for academic credit, I earned valuable experience that I will hold with me for many years to come. My experience at McGill is all the better for it. I am so grateful to the Véhicule team and to AIO for granting me a chance and helping me grow this passion for publishing.
