Why Doric Books take on students?

Takin on students at Doric Books is a real rewardin fur baith us an them. It gies students a chunce tae gain gweed firsthaun experience o fit it's like tae big an wirk fur a business. It gies us e chunce tae get a rare set o fresh ideas an input aat continues tae help us growe a develop inna. As a community interest company, it's important for us tae support e development o e future wirk force, sae takin on students is a gweed wye tae dee aat. Sae far workin wi students his bin affa fine an real beneficial tae's an we houp tae cairry on workin wi thim fur years tae cum! 

Taking on students at Doric Books is a hugely rewarding experience for both us and them. It allows students to gain good firsthand experience of what its like to build and work for a business. It also allows us to get an invaluable set of fresh ideas and input that continues to help us grow and develop. As a community interest company, it is important for us to support the development of the future work force, so taking on students allows us to do so. In the past working with students has been very enjoyable and beneficial to us and we hope to continue working with them for years to come!

Kirstie Clark, BA (Hons) Journalism - RGU, January - March 2023

Kirstie was responsible for the promotion and creation of engaging content surrounding upcoming events and books for Doric Books. Both Jackie and Aaron enabled and encouraged Kirstie with creative freedom to create graphics to go alongside some of the articles. As a journalism student, she was able to bring her knowledge of how to gain and hold the attention of the reader and helped to sell out most of our Doric Rhymes Time events that were a hit with the children of Aberdeenshire. A highlight of her placement was interviewing Scotland’s first female to win the World Cup, Rose Reilly in front of a live audience. The experience gained from her placement at Doric Books was highly beneficial for Kirstie as she was able to take her gained skills and achieve a first-class degree in Journalism from RGU. 

I loved my time at Doric Books and I cannot fault Jackie and Aaron (and Kirils) as they were all so supportive with my ideas and creative suggestions. One thing that I really appreciated was the consistent zoom calls as it ensured that my questions (even silly ones!) were always answered and I was never left in the dark wondering what to do. I highly recommend this placement, not only did I learn so much in terms of experience but also I had a lot of fun!

Dora Grabar, English with Creative Writing student at University of Aberdeen.  September-December 2021

Dora managed the Doric Books social media channels, clearly establishing the company's social media presence. This included developing content and long-term strategies for TikTok and Instagram, and writing copy focusing on SEO and algorithms on each platform. It was a great insight into publishing and marketing, both of which Dora is now pursuing as a career.

 

Gareth Jones, BA (Hons) Journalism student at RGU, January 2025- present.

 Gareth is also currently responsible for enhancing our online presence alongside his fellow student Jamie. Each week consists of putting aspects of the website under spotlight and finding ways to creatively improve them in order to freshen up its general appearance and navigation. Additionally, Gareth has been producing creative content to inform followers and target markets on the weekly activity of Doric Books over the coming months across platforms. All of these roles have allowed Gareth to work on various different skills to benefit his growth, going into his final year of University. 

Jamie Mann, BA (Hons) Journalism student at RGU. January 2025-present. 

Jamie is currently responsible for enhancing the online presence of Doric Books with one of her fellow journalism students.  This includes editing the website to keep it up to date and eye catching for viewers.  Jamie also has the responsibility of coming up with new and fun ideas to add to their social media such as TikTok and Instagram.  Doric books also allows Jamie to work on her writing and web design skills which will benefit her for her fourth year of university.

Caitlin Moffat, Communication Design at RGU, January 2025-present. 

I'm a third year communication design student at Robert Gordon University, diving into the world of illustration for the very first time.  I'm excited to be illustrating my first childrens book for Doric Books, and it is turning out to be a great fit for my skills and passions.  I love bringing stories to life through my illustrations, and I'm eager to share my work with others.  This journey has been a rewarding experience, and I can wait to see where it takes me next! Personal comment:

Maise Mckay, Communication Design, January 2025-present.

I’m currently a student in Gray’s School of Art studying Communication Design, I love all things illustration and love to create animations. I am currently illustrating a book yet to be released all about a silly dog named Dash causing a mess around the house. I have loved bringing one of Doric Books stories to life and have enjoyed working with them greatly !

Anna White, MA (Hons) in English with Creative Writing at The University of Aberdeen, September 2024 - March 2025.

Anna assisted with the Ma Hame Toon Project by teaching bookbinding to various groups. She also helped translate sentences into Doric. She also created the 2024 Doric Books Advent Calendar, which included numerous games for those interested in learning Doric.

From working with Doric Books, Anna has gained a valuable understanding of how publishers work with their local community through workshops. Her work has inspired her to pursue a career in publishing. 

You can see how to make books on the Doric Books Instagram (@doricbooks).