Open Call: UK-India Publishing Fellowship

A collaboration between Jaipur BookMark and British Council

Submit Your Application Now

Application closes on 5th Dec 2025

Background

Independent publishers often begin as outliers who then go on to animate the mainstream with fresh perspectives. They have ideas that make great and important books. Whether they come with an understanding of the business of publishing or simply with a conviction that a book must see the light of day, they bring real diversity and energy to the world of publishing. Time and again, independent publishersprovide the seedbed to nurture first time authors, spark off an eclectic list and find new pathways to markets that were waiting to be tapped.

In recognition of the critical need to encourage diverse voices in the publishing ecosystem, British Council and the Jaipur BookMark, India’s premier platform for the publishing industry nested in the Jaipur Literature Festival,are supporting independent publishers from the UK and India to come together at the Jaipur BookMark. The British Council has in the past, arranged exchange visits for publishers from the two countries as part of the International Publishing Fellowship, as well as facilitated their participation in the programme at Jaipur BookMark.

The Opportunity

Through an open-call application process, one publishereach from India and the UK will be invited to visit and participate in the Jaipur BookMark (30 Jan-3 Feb 2025) and the London Book Fair (11-13 March 2025)to encourage exchange and collaboration between diverse publishers from India and the UK.

The Jaipur BookMark and the British Council will extend full support to the Fellows to meet publishing and literature professionalswho will help to widen their professional expertise and further the objectives of the fellowship. Targeted suggestions and introductions will be facilitated during the course of their stay in Jaipur and London.

Jaipur BookMark

The Jaipur BookMark has a full programme of panel discussions, interviews with industry veterans and roundtables that focus on various aspects of publishing across the globe. There will be opportunities to network with industry professionals, meet translators, booksellers, literary agents and potential authors. Many publishers explore the buying and selling of rights of their titles at the JBM.

The two fellows will be asked to participate in a special session in the JBM programme that will focus on areas for collaboration and exchange.

In addition, the publishers will be expected to be proactive in advance of the Festival to get to know each other better. They are encouraged to explore areas of mutual learning and cooperation that extend beyond the Festival. They will be requested to keep themselves available for press interviews as required with due facilitation from the British Council and the Jaipur BookMark.

Highlights

Fellows will get to experience the magic of the iconic Jaipur Literature Festival and the Jaipur BookMark.As a speaker, the publishers will be entitled to attend any other sessions and Roundtables that are of interestat the Jaipur BookMark and the Jaipur Literature Festival. There will be access to the Speaker’s Lounge, the vibrant Music Stage and other cultural evenings that are hosted in tandem with the Festival. (Do check out the website of the Jaipur BookMark and the Jaipur Literature Festival for programme updates.)

London Book Fair

The UK leg of the programme will include a visit to London during the London Book Fair to make connections with the UK and global publishing industry. The London Book Fair (LBF) is the global marketplace for the sale and distribution of print, audio, TV, film, and digital content. As a B2B fair, it is one of the most important platforms for the international publishing industry to do business and network and welcomes 25,000 visitors each year.

The Fellows’ programme will include bespoke meetings, networking events, and suggested professional seminars. There may also be an opportunity to participate in a panel discussion, details to be confirmed closer to the time. There is also an expectation that the Fellows will pursue their own connections and interests or be available to attend other meetings as required by their publisher.

Logistics

The programme will cover the Fellow’s:

  • Return economy flights from their home city to Jaipur and London
  • Visa fees as required
  • Three nights’ accommodation in Jaipur and London as required
  • Access to hospitality tents to cover all meals during the festival in Jaipur; per diem payment for meals in London
  • Entrance and access passes to Jaipur BookMark and Jaipur Literature Festival and London Book Fair

Fellows would be expected to cover their own travel insurance, personal expenditure and travel to the airport in their country of residence.

Arrangements for the reciprocal UK trip in 2025 will be made in consultation with the successful Fellows after the JBF programme concludes.

Who can apply?

We are looking for applicants working for Indian or UK based independent publishing companies in English and/or any Indian language. Applicants should have a passion to publish books they believe in and a clear vision for their list, a will to innovate and reach their readers, a nimble attitude to using technology to innovate and an identified market for their books. Applicants should also be keen to develop international connections and enjoy networking and meeting new people.

Applicants must:

  • have 5-15years of experience as a publishing professional
  • demonstrate a desire to build connections between publishing in the UK and India and in literature in translation
  • demonstrate an interest in meeting a range of publishers who attend the Jaipur BookMark
  • be in a position to commission new titles within their publishing house

Selection Process

A committee of representatives from the British Council and the JBM will select the two Fellows based on their demonstrated specific interest in building UK/India publishing connections, their commitment to publishing new work in translation and their capacity to derive the maximum benefit from the opportunity. Independent publishers and those that have not had similar experiencesalready will be given preference.

Applicants will be shortlistedon the basis of the Application Form. This maybe followed by an online/telephonic interview. The chosen applicants will be informed via email by 6th December, 2024

FAQs

We are defining independent publishers as publishers and imprints that are not part of large conglomerates or multinational corporations. We would encourage applications from indies that are developing eclectic lists in different languages and experimenting with form and content.

In this case, publishing professionals include editorial, marketing and rights professionals working within independent publishing houses. We are not accepting applications from literary agents, booksellers, designers ortranslators for this call.

Freelancers may apply for this opportunity if they do a large amount of work in an editorial, marketing or rights role with an independent publisher. Please be sure to give detail of this work and the nature of your relationship with the independent publisher clearly in your application. Freelancers with a broader portfolio of work would not be eligible for this call as we are looking to build capacity of independent publishers.