Is this for YOU?

Work placement
(at your own risk!):

We are looking for energetic, hard-working, creative individuals to come and join the company on a work placement programme. Gender and age is inconsequential to us at Sri Serendipity Publishing, as long as you have passion and flare to give it a go and learn. You have to be prepared to work your tan off, put in peculiar hours and come in with a smile every day! The job is NOT your average 9 to 5: you may find yourself decorating launch venues, coordinating the media, delivering books all around the country, proof-reading bizarre travel tales, researching and even travelling with us to conduct interviews with fascinating characters and visiting amazing spots whether they are healing springs, rock temples, an annual UFO festival or edgy Colombo street-art warehouses.

Work experience at
Sri Serendipity Publishing House

In a flash of total honesty I’m man enough to put it out there that I had never heard of Sri Serendipity publishing house before my arrival at Galle Fort. I have a vague recollection, sitting at home before I departed for my month long tour of Sri Lanka, of reading something in my Lonely Planet about a multi-talented woman who ran walking tours around the Fort. I probably should check that out I thought; mental note made.

Fast forward three months and I had arrived in Sri Lanka. Mile upon mile of snaking beaches were as described by Mr Wheeler in his famous blue book. Palm trees? Check. Cocktails with little umbrella’s? Check. I was in fact enjoying one of these fruity delights while in the middle of an in depth discussion with a few locals as to why it was currently raining sideways, and was forecast to be for the rest of the week. Nobody knew exactly why they were experiencing tropical downpours at this time of year, although they were all sure global warming had something to do with it. Either way, it wouldn’t have been pleasurable soaking up a tan so I decided to skip straight to Galle Fort. Ever the history buff, I reasoned the Fort would be a more suitable location for this arctic weather (well, it was close as Sri Lanka gets to arctic weather. I saw no polar bears).

I chanced a visit to Serendipity Arts Café, where over perusal of the menu I noticed it was possible to do work experience at their publishing house. With my week now free, I threw caution to the wind (quite literally at that stage) and walked to the office across the road where I met Juliet and some of her team for the first time. Luckily for me she was quite busy, so without a proper interview and no problem in the fact that I was studying to be a designer, not a writer, I was told to return at 9am on Saturday.

I did, and was instantly swept into the whirlwind labyrinth that is Juliet’s life. Within five minutes of arrival I was told to take a pen and notebook and pound the streets of the Fort for a few hours to research an upcoming edition of the guidebook. Here I was, had only just arrived in the Fort, probably less informed than half of the Lonely Planet toting package tourists I was amongst and I was helping write a real life guide book. Talk about being thrown in at the deep end – I was expecting to be checking business cards for consistency, if I was lucky. I went into every single shop introducing myself and asking questions in a vague attempt to dig a little deeper below the surface. Some shopkeepers were helpful and friendly, others were just downright curious as to who exactly I was. Some even went to great pains to show me their personal antique collections. Some didn’t speak English.

I spent the afternoon and well in to the evening that day writing my findings and checking my research. Juliet invited me into her home for supper, and as she was explaining the following days activities and preparing some tea I was charged with minding her two-year-old son. It took all of my concentration to make sure baby Amzar didn’t somehow maim himself on the adventure playground that is the kitchen. I had absolutely no idea what Juliet said, and a crying baby in my arms. What was that about being thrown in at the deep end?

The following days were much like the first – completely unpredictable and exciting. I wrote my first impressions of Galle Fort for an upcoming diary, ate a large octopus that had just been pulled from the watery depths, compiled lists of things visitors must do in the area, met owners of boutique hotels, edited upcoming books, was shown around local art galleries, made new friends and further fell in love with this amazing citadel. The entire team here work long hours – 12-hour days aren’t the exception, they’re the norm. But strangely enough, it’s alright. The work is so interesting at Sri Serendipity that you’re honestly surprised when you look at the clock and see that its 10pm.

Career Opportunities

Launches/Ad Revenue
Editor-subbing
Marketing and Admin
Accountant and Book-keeper
Junior designers to work with our art director
Runners
Web administrator

For more information on listed opportunities pleace comtact us at sriserendipity@gmail.com