One-year fixed term contract (with potential to renew)
About Untold
Established in 2020, Untold Narratives works together with writers structurally marginalised by community or conflict, to develop and amplify their work. In many parts of the world, local writers (fiction and non-fiction) don’t have access to the cultural infrastructures necessary to develop their writing and to find new platforms. Untold supports these writers to develop their work; share their stories with wider communities in their own languages and grow global audiences in translation.
We also connect and support emerging literary editors and translators, to contribute to the development of local cultural landscapes.
Paranda is a writer development programme and global creative network of women writers in Afghanistan and the diaspora. Untold works with writers to develop their creative writing (fiction and non-fiction), connect them to each other and international writers, and broker commissions for their stories in local languages and in translation in international literary publications.
Our vision
Our vision is a world in which writers, irrespective of their situation, can tell their stories and share them within and between communities, and in which storytelling’s power to effect change and foster human rights is recognised.
Our mission
Our mission is to identify, develop, and amplify the work of writers in communities affected by social, geographic, or economic isolation, and those in areas of conflict.
Our values
AGENCY : We recognise and value the agency of the writers with whom we work. We work to empower writers who are at risk, facing threats, discrimination, and linguistic barriers, to enable them to have confidence in their work, faith in their ability to express themselves, a voice in local and international spheres, and the capacity to navigate global creative infrastructures from wherever they are.
RESPECT : We believe in fostering equity. We take time to build trust and respectful relationships between our communities and team, ensuring that individual’s autonomy is respected, cultural differences are valued. Our work is designed to respond to a particular need in a specific context.
QUALITY : We work with writers with creative ambition, and we strive to honour that ambition. We believe that strong literature can come from anywhere, and we work to ensure that structural barriers do not keep it hidden. We collaborate with international and local literary editors and translators, working rigorously and intensively to enable writers to produce the strongest stories possible and to enable them to reach wide global audiences.
AGILITY : We are flexible and nimble. We work in contexts in which responsiveness and adaptation are essential, and we are highly experienced in delivering creative initiatives in fast-changing, unpredictable contexts. We use low-tech solutions to build communities that give writers access to the literary infrastructures necessary to develop their writing and find new platforms for their work.
SAFETY : We work with many writers who are at risk. To do this safely demands intensive, constant, care and attention.
Join our team
We are excited to announce a new opportunity to join our small, creative and committed team. We are currently recruiting for an Editorial and Partnerships Manager to build on our success over the past five years finding and developing writers in marginalised communities and introducing their work to new readers through publication, broadcast and events.
About the role
You will lead on our Paranda project identifying new talent and developing writers through mentoring and workshop programmes, working with translators and editors (in different parts of the world) to create samples of writer’s work and identifying, brokering and securing global publishing opportunities.
Responsible to: Executive Director
Responsible for: Freelance co-ordinator, freelance translators and editors
Key responsibilities
* Project management:
* Design and deliver Paranda project plan in line with KPIs and outcomes including,
* Recruiting and managing freelance literary translators (working in Dari and/or Pashto and English), workshop leaders and editors.
* Managing a remote and secure editorial process to create high quality samples of writers’ work in translation (fiction and non-fiction) ready for market.
* Programming and chairing monthly guest speaker sessions.
* Conducting security and risk assessments for writers, including being available to respond to security concerns as they arise.
* Setting up and delivering monitoring and evaluation processes/data for the programme.
* Editorial
* Review drafts submitted by writers.
* Proof-read, copy edit and structurally edit pieces, in collaboration with writers, editors and translators.
* Organise and chair monthly editors’ meetings.
* Partnerships
* Identify and build new partnerships to publish and promote Untold writers’ work.
* Pitch and secure publications for pieces/book proposals to agents and /or publishers worldwide.
* Work with partners to create and deliver live events to promote writers’ work, including attending events.
* Connect writers to other writers and creative industries in their locality, worldwide.
* Negotiate contracts and rights where appropriate.
* Budget management
* Manage Paranda budget of circa £100k
* Work with finance manager to ensure invoices are correct and payments made in timely way, to different countries.
* Funding
* Work with executive director to identify potential funders.
* Provide relevant information to support proposals to funders.
* Provide relevant information to support reports to funders.
* Team/business planning
* Attend team meetings in person and remotely.
* Attend board meetings as required.
* Work with Executive Director and board to develop future direction and delivery of Untold.
* Occasional other duties as required by Executive Director.
* Key relationships
* Internal
* ExecutiveDirector, Paranda Co-ordinator, Finance Manager, Comms Manager.
* External
* International writers, translators and editors
* Literary agents and publishers
* Literature festivals
* A wide range of funders
* Other arts organisations
Person specification
* A minimum of three years working in a publishing / writer development environment
* Excellent editorial skills and attention to detail
* Strong evidence of building and managing relationships with a broad range of stakeholders
* Financially numerate and evidence of managing budgets
* Flexible/adaptable and enjoys working in a small team
* Good IT skills, knowledge of Microsoft Office, and messaging apps
* Committed to Untold’s mission and values
Location
This is a hybrid role. You will be required to attend regular meetings in person in London with Executive Director and team.
Salary and benefits
* P/t salary of £32,000, for four days per week, plus pension contribution of 3%.
* Annual leave 22.4 days plus bank holidays (pro rata) for four days.
How to apply
Please send your CV and a covering letter of no more than 2 sides of A4 detailing how your experience and skills meet our requirements for this role to admin@untold-narratives.org. Closing date: Monday 20 October, 09:00 am
Interview dates: First round: Tuesday 28 October. Second round: Tuesday 4 November.
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