Creative Access masterclass with Pan Macmillan: Navigating a career in publishing

Date: Tuesday 23rd June 2026

Time: 6pm - 8.30pm (doors open from 5:30pm)

Place: Pan Macmillan, 6 Briset Street, London EC1M 5NR

Join our next masterclass for an inside look into the world of publishing, as industry professionals from Pan Macmillan share honest insights into their career journeys, the evolving publishing landscape, and career longevity.

Pan Macmillan publish a broad and vibrant range of books for audiences of all ages from dazzling bestsellers to influential prize-winners; books to inspire lifelong readers and listeners to enduring classics for generations to come. The fourth largest UK publisher, Pan Macmillan pride themselves on publishing successfully and sustainably and are committed to working together to positively impact culture and society at large.

Hear from our panel chaired by Josie Dobrin OBE, co-founder and executive chair at Creative Access, on breaking into and progressing in publishing. You'll gain first-hand insights into the realities of working in publishing today, discover the many different career paths available across the industry, and hear practical advice on getting started.

Meet the panel:

• Andy Joannou – Audience Development Director, has spent over nine years rising through the ranks to find new readers using data, insights, and digital strategy. Across his 15+ years in media he has worked on major campaigns for everyone from Marcus Rashford and Elton John to Pinch of Nom and The Gruffalo, having started out working for major brands such as Cosmopolitan, ELLE and Good Housekeeping. Outside of publishing, Andy is an avid traveller and wildlife enthusiast who is firmly committed to the consumption - but absolutely never the production! - of high-quality cookies.
• Cheyney Smith – Head of Marketing at Macmillan Children's Books (MCB) and First Ink, started her career as the publishing assistant at MCB in 2015 via a Creative Access 6-month internship. Following a number of roles within the editorial team, she made the move to communications and has never looked back! She is passionate about community work and is a longtime volunteer for two South London charities, as well as a former co-chair of RISE, Pan Macmillan's Global Majority network. She was named FutureBook Future Leader of the Year in 2024 and a Bookseller Rising Star in 2025.
• Eishar Brar – Publisher, fiction & non-fiction, at Macmillan Children's Books; specialising in inclusive, commercial children’s literature. She leads a dynamic editorial team that publishes for age 6 up to YA/crossover, including two imprints: First Ink (YA/Crossover) and Rocket Fox (middle-grade non-fiction). A 2021 Bookseller Rising Star, she has a distinguished track record of championing inclusive, commercial, and award-winning literature. In committing to authentic and representative publishing, the authors she has published have won every major UK children’s book prize, and reached countless young readers.
• Gaby Puleston-Vaudrey – Commissioning Editor for romance in the Pan Macmillan fiction team, working with authors including B.K. Borison, Autumn Woods, Chelsea Curto and Elle McNicoll. Gaby's previous experience includes working on romance, science fiction and fantasy at Hachette, on audiobooks at Penguin and as a publicity intern at Atlantic Books, which was supported by Creative Access.

Event overview:

• Doors open from 5.30pm
• Panel 6pm - 6.50pm
• Questions until 7.20pm

Following the discussion, join us for drinks, light nibbles and networking with fellow attendees and publishing professionals. You'll also have the opportunity to take home a complimentary book from Pan Macmillan.

This event is aimed at people who are under-represented in the creative industries. This includes, but is not limited to, individuals who identify as Black, Asian, or from other ethnically diverse backgrounds, or people of any ethnicity who belong to the following under-represented groups: disabled people, individuals with the characteristic of gender reassignment, individuals from lower socioeconomic backgrounds, carers and asylum seekers.