Books are my business: Skein Press commissioning editor Nidhi Zakaria Eipe

Nidhi was a writer before becoming an editor; she published her first book, 'Auguries of a Minor God', with Faber & Faber in 2021

Nidhi Zakaria Eipe used to work in international development and conflict resolution before she  moved to Ireland so she had no previous experience in the literary world. Picture: Leo Byrne

Nidhi Zakaria Eipe is commissioning editor with Skein Press and is based in Dublin.

How did you get into publishing?

I was a writer before I became an editor. I published my first book, Auguries of a Minor God, with Faber & Faber in 2021. 

While I have the most wonderful agent and incredibly supportive editors, my early experience of publication made me realise how difficult it can often be for writers from minority communities/backgrounds, or those working in other fields, to make their way in the literary sector.

I used to work in international development and conflict resolution before I moved to Ireland so I had no previous experience in the literary world and no idea of what it took to publish a book or make a career out of writing.

I had participated in a summer school with The Stinging Fly in Dublin in 2018, which is the first time I remember feeling like the possibility of being a writer was really open to someone like me. 

I saw scope for a professional programme that would mentor aspiring writers whose stories have been traditionally underrepresented in Irish literature and publishing, perspectives that would offer a counter or complement to the dominant cultural narrative. 

It was a stroke of wonderful luck to meet Gráinne O’Toole and Fionnuala Cloke, the founders of Skein Press, and find a real kinship there. 

Together with Declan Meade at The Stinging Fly and with primary funding from the Arts Council of Ireland, we piloted the Play It Forward Fellowships in 2021. 

Following the fellowship programme, I stayed on with Skein Press as poetry editor, incorporating this genre into our publications, and later took on the role of commissioning editor.

What does your role involve?

My role involves commissioning books from writers and developing our publishing programme. 

As a writer-centred press, we operate a developmental strand where we invest in resources and support for first-time writers to bring their manuscripts from conception to completion. 

Being part of this journey with writers whose work and ways of being I admire is deeply rewarding.

I also help to oversee strategic partnerships as part of Skein’s commitment to advocating for artists, to ensure everyone has the opportunity to create, curate, and participate in culture. 

We work closely with the Arts Council, literary and cultural organisations, and fellow publishers to dismantle barriers to participation and advance equity within existing structures, policies, and practices.

What do you like most about your job?

I’m very fortunate, there’s so much to love. 

Reading a submission of heart-hushing writing and rushing to share it with the team; championing the work of authors whose voices may have historically not found a place within Irish literature, and working in tandem with translators to bring stories from different cultures and continents to readers in Ireland.

And forging new friendships and partnerships with people and organisations working to spread a love of literature and storytelling that celebrates the beauty and richness of the world we share.

What do you like least about it?

E-mails. And the immediacy of digital correspondence. I frequently daydream of quitting the internet and communicating entirely through snail mail or bringing back telegrams.

What memorable books have you worked on?

I’m partial to the books in Skein Press’ ‘Solstice Stories’ series, which feature creative collaborations between contemporary writers and visual artists. 

The series seeks to stimulate conversations and inspire hope by reconnecting us with our imaginations and bringing people and communities together. 

The first in the series, and my first book as an editor, is Waking Light, a beautiful limited-edition accordion book featuring lyric poetry and prose by Mícheál McCann and Kerri ní Dochartaigh alongside photographic images by Michelle Moloney, designed and handmade by book artist Éilís Murphy.

I also loved working on Weave, a collaboration between writers Oein DeBhairduin and Deirdre Sullivan with ink-brush artist Yingge Xu, encompassing eight exquisite stories and illustrations inspired by the eight festivals in the Wheel of the Year; and The Book of Trivialities, our first bilingual (Arabic-English) collection of poetry by Majed Mujed, translated by Kareem James Abu-Zeid.

What three books would you bring to a desertisland?

Peter Matthiessen’s The Snow Leopard, Clarissa Pinkola Estés’ Women Who Run With The Wolves, and Kalidasa’s ‘Kumarasambhavam’.

• skeinpress.com