A few weeks ago, Liverpool University Press were fortunate to co-host the 10th University Press Redux with ALPSP at the Spine in Liverpool. UP Redux started out in Liverpool back in 2016 so it was fantastic to have the conference return to our home city and it gave our full staff (which has more than doubled in size since the first Redux in 2016!) the opportunity to attend such a brilliant industry event. Very often, attendance at such conferences is limited to senior staff due to cost restrictions but having the event locally meant we could open this up to everyone who wanted to attend. Following on from some post-Redux reflections, we asked some of our early-career colleagues to share their thoughts on their experience attending UP Redux for the first time this year.

“Attending my first University Press Redux was such a unique and beneficial opportunity, especially as someone relatively early in their academic publishing career. I was able to attend talks on global marketing and sales trends, which gave some understanding into what distributors and booksellers are looking for, alongside bigger picture sessions, such as insight into institutional advancement and the future of Open Access publishing. I also had the opportunity to chair a session on university libraries trends and priorities, which provided excellent public speaking experience with leaders in the industry. Finally, the ability to network with colleagues from all over the world, both in their early careers and those with years of experience was exciting and informative in equal measure.”
Alice Tradewell, Books Marketing Assistant and one of the winners of the ALPSP UP Redux Rising Star Award, 2026

“I found Redux a fantastic opportunity to find out more about academic publishing beyond my own role. It was a really helpful insight into what people in other departments do, the pressures on the sector, and the challenges but also the opportunities that developments such as OA publishing and AI might bring. It was reassuring to talk to others at similar career stages in other presses, and to learn more about how they work and about their experiences in the sector. The session on sustainability was eye-opening and well-delivered, as was the session on OA publishing and the challenges of funding it. I also found George Walkley’s keynote on AI interesting and really thought-provoking. The whole event felt very well run. The food was excellent, too, but it was by no means the most memorable aspect of the conference!”
Alex Jordan, Production Editor

“Redux 2026 was the first conference I attended since recently getting my first role in publishing, and it was incredibly inspiring and insightful to hear the different talks from some amazing people in industry. It gave me a much clearer understanding of the publishing world as a whole. It was also wonderful to meet people face to face and to truly appreciate the value of in-person connections. I feel very lucky to have attended such a great conference in my beautiful home city.”
Anna Champion, Rights & Publishing Services Assistant

“This was my first time at Redux, and I thoroughly enjoyed the experience. The sessions were very informative, and I feel like I’ve walked away gaining valuable knowledge of the publishing industry.”
Melissa Thomas, Books Marketing Assistant and LUP’s Community Lead

For more information about careers at LUP, working in publishing, and to learn more about some of our staff members’ routes into publishing, visit our careers page on the LUP website.

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