Saturday 20 September is the first day of the annual conference of the Chartered Institute of Editing and Proofreading (CIEP) and I’m really looking forward to mingling with my fellow freelance editors and attending some inspiring sessions. First on the list is the Whitcombe Lecture, with the wonderful Susie Dent virtually popping in for an audience Q&A – a treat for an etymology nerd such as me. I’m also staking out my seat for a screening of ‘Rebel Without a Clause’, a film that sounds right up my street and which I highlighted in my blog in March.
Of far greater value, though, is the opportunity that I’ll have to make connections and gain insights in actual, in-the-room conversations with people from different backgrounds and career paths, who all bring something unique and worthwhile to the table.
Learning never stops, and now that AI has dialled up the technological pace it seems my years of experience have less currency and worth than they used to. The challenge now is to highlight all the skills and perspective that I can offer, and that AI can’t. So I’m keen to attend Sara Kitaoji’s session ‘Editing as a Vocation or Ikigai: Reclaiming Our Humanity in the Age of AI’ to hear how I can rethink my approach.
If you’re attending the conference this year, then I hope you enjoy the experience and have great fun while learning how to be a better editor. See you in Milton Keynes!