Resilience, Passion and Success in Publishing: Rosemary Shipton (Fairholme Old Girl 1959)
March 24, 2025
Rosemary Shipton | 1959 | Powell House | Day Girl
At 83, Fairholme Old Girl, Rosemary Shipton’s career in publishing is still going strong, and her story is anything but ordinary. Filled with chapters on resilience and determination and success, Rosemary’s story is a bestseller in its own right.
From her early days as an assistant editor at the University of Toronto Press to her current role as an executive editor at Simon & Schuster in Canada, Rosemary has woven a tapestry of remarkable achievements, each more interesting than the last.
With a career spanning decades, multiple facets of publishing, and a still-growing list of editing bestsellers and award-winning works, her passion for books and storytelling remains as steadfast as ever.
But it’s not just her impressive resume that makes her stand out - it’s the way she’s navigated a constantly-evolving industry, mentored hundreds of aspiring editors, and tackled the challenges of a female pioneer in a predominantly male-dominated field.
Now, as she wraps up full-time work in Canada to focus on a few final projects, Rosemary reflects on a career that’s been as fulfilling as it has been groundbreaking, proving that age is truly just a number when you’re doing what you love.
‘You may wonder why I am in Canada. In a way, it’s connected to Fairholme. In the late 1950s, we first knew our results in the state-run Senior exams when they were published in the Toowoomba Chronicle. I was astonished by mine, so much better than I expected, and that got me a scholarship to University of Queensland,’ Rosemary remembers.
‘There I enrolled in the four-year History Honours program, graduated with First-Class Honours, and won an Australian National University Scholarship to ANU in Canberra. From there I won a Commonwealth Scholarship, and, wanting to follow the American system of a combined seminar and thesis degree, chose to come to Canada. After three years here, I married a Canadian – and began my first job in publishing at University of Toronto Press (UTP).
‘The prerequisites for this UTP job - a scholarly publisher - were a minimum of an MA in History, a reading knowledge of French, and the confidence and ability to work mostly with academic authors. In other words, university professors and researchers. After an interview, I got the job and began in August 1968.’
Rosemary, who attended Fairholme in the late 1950s when Nancy Shaw was Principal, continues to embody the spirit of curiosity and lifelong learning that defines a successful career in publishing. The world of trade publishing, where firms like Penguin Random House and HarperCollins reign, is one that demands constant adaptability and enthusiasm, she says.
It’s a realm where no two books are ever alike, and no two authors ever present the same challenges. Yet, for this seasoned publishing veteran, meeting those challenges head-on with diplomacy, respect for deadlines, and passion has been the key to her rewarding career.
‘People who love a career in publishing tend to be curious, to thrive on lifelong learning. Every book is different, so you never repeat yourself. Every author is different, too, so it’s essential to be able to meet whatever challenges spring up and make a success of them.’
Rosemary’s love of books and reading was nurtured at Fairholme (she was Dux of the College in 1959) where she says she was lucky enough to have some inspiring teachers guide her path.
‘My years at Fairholme taught me that if I applied myself, I could succeed. the Principal, Nancy Shaw, was a big influence, as were a couple of teachers, such as Judith Green, who went on, as Judith Rodiquez, to be a well-known poet and university lecturer in Australia. I kept in touch with her sporadically and met up with her once in New York and later in Toronto, just a couple of years before she died,’ Rosemary remembers.
‘At Fairholme, I liked the routine of the morning assembly, sports days and the annual fair.’
One of the strengths of attending a girls-only school, according to Rosemary, is that it encourages students to take on all responsibilities, without the constraints of traditional gender roles. In the 50s - a time when societal expectations often dictated what males and females could do - she says Fairholme allowed young women to break free from those boundaries. ‘One of the advantages of a girls-only school is that the students have to do everything. There is no division of responsibility along ‘traditional’ lines between males and females (as there often was in the 1950s!).’
Similarly, the Fairholme values of seeking excellence, perseverance, integrity and kindness all continue to guide Rosemary’s professional and personal journey. ‘I hope all these characteristics will stay with me to the end of my life.’
When asked about the secret to her career longevity, Rosemary credits enthusiasm and a commitment to staying fit and healthy. Similarly, her passion for her work, combined with a willingness to embrace new opportunities, has kept her at the forefront of the publishing industry for decades. ‘I hoped to make my life as interesting and fulfilling as it could be, to be kind and supportive, and to enjoy my family and my friends,’ she reflects.
‘It’s important to have good friends and to be loyal to them. Also to respect experts and people who know more about some things than you do!’
‘I think Fairholme’s focus on fostering creativity and resilience guided my ability to take risks and embrace new challenges.’
Even as she reflects on her decades-long career, Rosemary is staying firmly in the moment.
‘My final in-house position has been at Simon & Schuster as Executive Editor – and I have a most interesting group of books on the go (including the memoir by the current Governor General of Canada).
‘Recently, I turned 83, so I’m going to resign from full-time work and finish off my projects on a contract basis over the next 15 months. I don’t want to plan beyond the end of 2026 simply because I don’t think that’s fair to authors (who tend to develop a close relationship with their editors).
‘As I look back on my career, yes, I’ve enjoyed it to the full – especially having ventured into so many different aspects of publishing. I’ve also been well rewarded: in 2007, Trinity College, University of Toronto, granted me an honorary doctorate for my contribution to publishing in Canada, and I’ve won two awards given by Editors Canada.’
Having mentored hundreds of students throughout her career, Rosemary’s offers these insights into leadership and nurturing talent in the publishing industry - in fact, for any industry: ‘A good leader leads by example, so be positive, cooperative, creative, and always do your best work.’
And advice to the next generation of Fairholme Old Girls? ‘Be curious, embrace lifelong learning, and never stop trying to make a difference. If you do that, success will follow.’
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Fairholme College is delighted to welcome Mr Mitch Koina as our new Coordinator of High Performance Coaching. Bringing more than a decade of experience across diverse educational settings, Mitch joins the community with a strong commitment to student wellbeing, participation, and performance. ‘This is my 12th year of teaching,’ Mitch shares. ‘I’ve done a range of different contexts now, I did two years down at Lockyer District High School, I then spent six years at St Mary’s College before moving to St Josephs, where I’ve been for the last three years. Now obviously I’ve made my way over to Fairholme which I’m really excited about.’ It was both the College’s reputation and the scope of the role that drew Mitch to Fairholme. ‘Fairholme is a very prestigious college, it’s got a great name and reputation,’ he said. ‘The role itself is really exciting for me. I’ve got a passion for fitness and particularly looking after the wellbeing of young girls, whether that be on the sporting field or with their social aspect, academics, just all round developing good girls on and off the court.’ A strong advocate for pastoral care, Mitch brings valuable leadership experience to the position. ‘I did a Head of House role at St Mary’s for three and a half years, so pastoral care has always been my calling so it’s great to tie in the sporting aspect as well as wellbeing,’ he explained. His philosophy centres on the connection between student wellbeing and performance. ‘It’s all dependant on each other. If we’ve got girls who are happy and their wellbeing is flourishing, then they are doing well on the sporting field and vice versa too.’ Looking ahead, Mitch is focused on building both excellence and enjoyment within the program. ‘I would love to get participation rates very high. We have a lot of elite athletes here that I want to achieve and do really well, but I also want to work on girls enjoying their training, coming in and having a nice vibe around the sporting field and the training.’ Importantly, Mitch emphasises that success looks different for every student. ‘We’re not all Australian representatives, but if girls are working really hard and achieving to the best of their potential, whatever level that may be in the sporting arena, I think that’s a program we can be very proud of.’ As he begins his journey at Fairholme, Mitch is eager to connect with the community. ‘I’m really excited to be a part of Fairholme, it is a great opportunity. The staff and the students have been fantastic to me so far, but as the weeks go on, I’m really looking forward to getting to know the girls and building some relationships from there.’ We warmly welcome Mitch to Fairholme and look forward to the energy, care, and expertise he will bring to our High Performance Sports program.
What inspired you to apply for the Prefect for Sport position? I was inspired to go for this position as I have seen the passion that Fairholme as a community has for sport, and the true love and respect the staff have for athletes at the college. I wanted to work closely with the girls and staff to help progressing sport at Fairholme. Do you have a favourite sport? My favourite sport is touch football. It has given me so very much and I am forever grateful. What has been your proudest sporting moment so far? My proudest sporting moment so far was being fortunate enough to represent my country in the sport I love most. Who has been your biggest influence or role model in sport? My biggest role model in sport has to my parents. They never fail to push me towards things that might seem out of my comfort zone or scary. They constantly support me through everything and influence me to be the best version of myself on and off the field. What are you hoping to achieve this year as Prefect for Sport? I aim to inspire everyone to just have a go. By the end of my final year at Fairholme I hope I can inspire people to just get o ut of their comfort zones and try something new. What advice would you give your Year 7 self? I would tell my Year 7 self that in the big picture no one is going to judge you for trying your hardest and giving things ago! And not to put too much pressure on yourself! Do you hope to pursue sport after school? I wish to continue to play sport at a high level after school. whether that is through touch or rugby. Sport is a very important part of my life that will hopefully continue well after I leave school.
How long have you been involved in The Arts at Fairholme? Since I began here in Year 7, but before then I started playing piano and violin in Year 5. I have participated in a number of ensembles within the school and greatly enjoyed each of these. What does being the Prefect for The Arts mean to you? Personally, I think that being the Prefect for The Arts is primarily a role in which I can help to support other girls. I’m a designated person that girls can come to if they have any questions or concerns with anything regarding extracurricular artistic involvement, and I do a little to help with running some of the artistic aspects around the school, such as finding girls to volunteer for busking at events. But mostly, I think it is about being a positive promoter for the arts, and encouraging other girls to expand their world view to include creativity. Which art form do you enjoy most (e.g. music, drama, visual art, dance etc)? My main art form that I participate in is instrumental music, through my involvement in a few ensembles within the school on violin and piano. However, other art forms, like dancing during March Pasts or singing Shine Jesus Shine are pretty fun too. Do you have a most memorable Arts experience? I think that one of the most memorable Arts experiences that I have had has been at events where I have accompanied my grade, like when all the Year 11’s last year sung at the Valedictorian dinner and I played piano along with other instrumentalists in my grade, Tilly Anderson and Emma Salter. However, I think the most enjoyable Arts experience that I have had is playing Jingle Bell Rock at the boarding Christmas dinner last year, when the rest of my cohort stood around the piano singing. I felt that this was one of those excellent examples of how music can bring people together. What advice would you give to students who might be nervous about joining an arts activity? I would say that it is always worth giving something new a go. You’re much more likely to regret the chances you never took than the ones you do. I’m a strong believer that being involved in any form of extra-curricular activity is so beneficial for everyone; it expands your world view, you meet new people, and get outside your comfort zone. Each individual has something they are good at, and how are you going to find out what that is if you don’t try? Do you hope to continue with The Arts after school? Definitely. It has become such a big part of my life, and I honestly get so much enjoyment out of it. The great thing about the arts is that they are things that you can do at any time of your life. You’re never too old, that’s a skill you have for life. Other people can also get so much enjoyment out of the artistic abilities of others. Who doesn’t love to have someone who can sit around the camp-fire and play guitar, or create a beautiful piece of artwork?
