David Miller Internship Programme 2026 Report

Subject: David Miller Internship Programme 2026 Report

We are pleased to provide this report on the successful completion of the David Miller Internship Programme (DMIP) by Phoebe Turner and Margo Ivanova. As always, your collective commitment was instrumental in achieving the programme's objectives. 

The DMIP was set up by the Deborah Rogers Foundation (DRF) in memory of David Miller, an RCW agent who died in 2016. The DMIP internship scheme is focussed on attracting candidates from those communities under-represented in publishing and this year worked with New Writing North to recruit our interns from the North.  Remoteness from London presents particular challenges for young people trying to gain a foothold in the industry. Accommodation in London is provided as part of this six-week fully funded internship allowing us to offer full support.   

This year our interns were extremely fortunate to be hosted by Andrew Franklin, Founder of Profile Books and Sara Lloyd, Group Communications Director & Global AI Lead at Pan Macmillan. We were also very grateful to the owner and staff of the Bedford Hotel, Bloomsbury who generously provided additional accommodation.

New Writing North processed the applications and produced a longlist of 15 candidates. The longlisted applicants were then reviewed by DRF trustees (Richard Cable, Sam Edenborough and Margaret Halton). This is the fifth year of the DMIP and the calibre of applications has never been stronger.  The trustees had a difficult task in selecting only five to shortlist. The final two candidates were chosen by a panel drawn largely from DMIP alumni or former David Miller Bursary winners.  

This year’s programme

The DMIP is structured to provide broad, immersive experience across the diverse literary landscape and this time we worked with a record number of partners. Inevitably, visits were shorter but thanks to the unique collaborative structure everyone provided, Phoebe and Margo gained significant and broad exposure. 

Inside publishing houses

The programme began with a stint at Faber where the interns experienced their first overview of a publishing house, benefitting from sessions with each department. At Profile, they benefited from attending acquisitions meetings where they could observe real-time deal progress and comparative title sales analysis. Margo enjoyed following up on projects to better understand why they had been rejected. At Penguin Random House, the interns were exposed to personnel across multiple departments, giving them a clear understanding of internal publisher structures. 

Literary agencies

Both interns enjoyed the hands-on experience at ILA, particularly helping to prepare material for the Frankfurt Book Fair. Sam Edenborough at Greyhound and Margaret Halton at PEW acted as mentors throughout the DMIP giving Phoebe and Margo useful insight into their respective agencies.  They gained invaluable exposure to rights contracts and got to observe how agencies interact with primary agents as well as how projects are pitched to scouts. Margo noted that attending rights meetings was exactly the experience she needed to compliment her publishing MA. At Eccles Fisher, the interns read scouts’ reports and had a go at writing their own. Margo singled out the work culture at Lutyens and Rubinstein as her favourite - and was very grateful for advice she received there on the publishing scene in the North. 

Attending the Frankfurt Book Fair was a highlight and provided a rare early-career opportunity. Phoebe enjoyed sitting in on meetings with people who were passionate about books and seeing how books were sold on an international level, while Margo noted that it provided a stand-out highlight for her CV. The final placements at RCW and David Higham, occurred post-Frankfurt, allowing the interns to observe the fair’s follow-up process and engage in more hands-on tasks.

Feedback from our partners

The success of the DMIP relies on the open and professional engagement of our partners. We are delighted to share the positive impression that Margo and Phoebe made:

‘Both of them thoroughly deserve to find employment in the foreign rights field; we found them exceptionally smart and personable, and if I was hiring they would certainly be on my shortlist!’ Nicki Kennedy, ILA

‘Margo & Phoebe were a dream to host at L&R!’ Prema Raj, Lutyens & Rubinstein

We are truly grateful to every partner—including Greyhound, PEW, ILA, David Higham, EFA, Faber, PRH, Profile, RCW and L&R. The depth of experience you provided has given Phoebe and Margo the best foundation on which to build a publishing career. Particular thanks go to Sam Edenborough and Margaret Halton who not only act as hosts but also as valuable mentors on hand throughout the six-week period and beyond, and to Amy Robson from New Writing North, who provided support throughout the process. 

The 2026 DMIP interns reflect

‘I’m autistic and English is not my first language, so for the longest time I felt that these were barriers for entry into the publishing industry — that is, until I got to meet professionals from a variety of backgrounds through the DRF David Miller internship, all of whom played a role in helping me to believe in myself and the skills I’ve learned along the way.’
Margo Ivanova

‘The David Miller Internship has been an incredibly eye-opening experience; the in-depth knowledge I have gained, the opportunity to attend Frankfurt Book Fair, and the genuine kindness and support of the network I have built over the last six weeks have been invaluable in demystifying the industry. I look forward to carrying this experience with me throughout my career in publishing, and to one day paying forward the generosity and encouragement I have received.’
Phoebe Turner

Looking Ahead

Margo and Phoebe represent exceptionally promising talent for the future of the industry and are both now working hard to get that elusive entry-level job, armed with real-world knowledge.  

Both of the 2025 DMIP interns secured fantastic first jobs in publishing: Shreya Ganguli is at HarperCollins and Danielle Olanipekun at Curtis Brown. Your continued involvement in the DMIP is essential to maintaining this crucial pathway into publishing. We are committed to driving change in diversifying our industry and hope that you will continue to support our work in this way.

‘Before the internship I was feeling pessimistic about my chances, and so many areas of the industry remained elusive to me. I now have a broad understanding of the industry, an in-depth knowledge of Rights, and a wide-ranging network. I am applying for jobs with so much more confidence - I have already seen results from my recent applications, largely due to this experience!’
Phoebe Turner