At David Higham Associates, we’re always on the hunt for passionate readers who are ready to start their career in the publishing industry.
We see paid internships as a key pathway for candidates who need to earn a living while they build experience, and offer a fair salary as standard. We are keen to attract applications from candidates from under-represented backgrounds in our shared aim to make publishing a more diverse and fully representative industry.
Our Books department internships are usually offered on a six-monthly basis, to give as many candidates as possible the chance to take their first step into the industry but also to ensure they have the opportunity to take on varied responsibilities.
Typically Books interns manage our submissions inbox, read and report on manuscripts, assist one of our book agents with client-related tasks, help out the translation rights team, fulfil permission requests, help organise our occasional Open Day events and attend and minute Books department meetings amongst other tasks.
Interns also undertake a variety of office tasks and act as receptionist, answering our phone line and greeting visitors.
Interns leave DHA with a good insight into all the functions of an agency and a developed sense of which role interests and suits them best. We mentor our interns with one-to-one sessions throughout their tenure and assist them as they start their permanent job search. We are extremely proud of the varied, exciting roles our interns have gone on to secure since our internship programme was initiated over a decade ago – including several who are now permanent DHA staff.
This is how some of our talented alumnae have summarised their experience with us:
Anna Barnes, Head of Picture Books at Puffin:
I loved my time interning at David Higham. I learned so much about the industry – from big, fundamental things like how contracts work and how agents and publishers work together to find, launch and nurture authors and illustrators; to small but crucial things like how to write a good email. It was the best possible start to my publishing career.
Aimée Felone, Managing Director of Knights Of, British Books Awards 2022 Children’s Publisher of the Year:
I honestly look back at my time as an intern at DHA with such fond memories! Getting the (paid!) opportunity to work at such an illustrious literary agency gave me the much needed skills and confidence to start formulating my ideas of what I wanted my career to look like and what I wanted my impact in this industry to be.
Rebecca Jamieson, Editor at HQ:
My experience interning at David Higham Associates was invaluable. Not only did I meet some of the most amazing people and brilliant minds, but it gave me an extraordinarily helpful introduction to the publishing industry and agenting. The internship is what you make of it, so if you put yourself forward and get involved, you can learn so much – you could be working on inspiring projects, like the DHA Open Days for Under-represented Writers, or reading submissions and writing reader reports for agents, alongside the internship duties required. For anyone trying to break into the industry, I highly recommend applying to this internship at DHA.
Launched in 2018, the DHA Open Days aim to demystify the industry, and support writers from under-represented backgrounds to gain valuable industry knowledge and develop their work. We run Open Days for adult literary and commercial fiction and also for scriptwriters.
Our 2023 Open Day built on the success of previous years, inviting ten exceptional writers to take part in a day of free workshops and seminars from authors, editors, and leading industry professionals, alongside an in-depth 1-1 feedback session on their submitted work with a DHA agent.
Check back here for news of the next Open Day or follow us on X for the latest info.
Contracts Executive
Salary: From £30,000 per annum, depending on experience.
Literary Agency DHA is looking for a proactive and efficient Contracts Executive. Working across a market-leading list of fiction, non-fiction and children’s authors, this is an exciting opportunity for someone who has a minimum of twelve months’ experience at contracts assistant or junior contracts executive level in a publishing house or literary agency and is looking for the next step in their career.
The role will have primary responsibility for translation rights agreements, working closely with DHA’s primary agents and the Translation Team. You will be confident in drafting, reviewing and negotiating contracts and well-informed on relevant current industry conversations in areas such as copyright, digital and audio streaming and subscription models, and AI.
The successful candidate will have a sharp eye for detail and be proficient at managing a high volume of work while remaining calm under pressure and comfortable managing and successfully prioritising their own workload. You will be reliable, trustworthy and discreet, with excellent written and verbal communication skills. Familiarity with the Bradbury Phillips database system would be an advantage.
We are a dynamic, busy agency so an enthusiastic, collaborative attitude, an ability to use your initiative, and a willingness to pitch in are very important.
Responsibilities of the role include but are not limited to:
We encourage and support all employees in developing their knowledge and experience and in progressing their careers and anticipate that in due course you will have the opportunity to acquire more responsibility and work across a broader range of contracts, including the drafting and negotiation of English language agreements alongside our Contracts Director.
About DHA:
David Higham Associates represents an exceptional range of writers across all genres, in all media. We are a company that takes pride in creating a supportive and collaborative environment where employees work towards individual and company goals as well as towards attaining a good level of autonomy in their roles, with training. We also offer an internal mentorship scheme to provide further guidance and development.
You should be able to attend our Soho offices in normal working hours at least three days a week but there is an option to work remotely on other days in this full-time role. Holiday allowance is generous, and an annual bonus is offered in line with personal and company performance. We like to meet together as a company and pride ourselves on our reputation for being friendly as well as forward-looking and successful since the agency’s foundation in 1935.
Applications:
To apply, please send your CV and covering letter, including details of current salary and notice period, to Georgia Glover (georgiaglover@davidhigham.co.uk). Please include your name in the subject line of the email and the words ‘Contracts Executive Application’.
The closing date for applications is Tuesday 16th September. DHA reserves the right to close the application process early if we have found the right candidate.
We offer expenses for travel to London to attend interviews.
DHA welcomes applications from any individual regardless of ethnic origin, gender, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation, or age. All applicants will be considered on merit.
Translation Rights Assistant
Deadline for all applications: Sunday 21st September 2025 at 11.59pm
Salary: £ 26,000 – £28,500 per annum
Location: our offices are based in central London (Soho). You would be expected to work a minimum of four days a week in the office, with some working from home flexibility for one day a week.
DHA is looking for an organised, enthusiastic, and creative assistant to join the Translation Team to start as soon as possible. This will be a busy role providing general administrative support for the adult rights team and assisting the relevant Agents.
We are a company that takes pride in creating a supportive and collaborative environment where employees work towards individual and company goals as well as towards attaining a good level of autonomy in their roles, with training.
The successful candidate will have a sharp eye for detail and will be confident managing a high volume of work. You will be a fast learner who is keen to support a busy, ambitious team and happy to pitch in where necessary. You will have excellent communication and administrative skills. Knowledge of Microsoft Office is required. Some previous experience in a publisher or an agency is helpful but not necessary.
This is an exciting and unique opportunity for someone wanting to learn more about selling international rights whilst developing their administrative skills.
Responsibilities
Administrative
• Tracking contracts, logging deals and interest, submissions, and publisher details on our database.
• Managing cover approvals, providing materials to publishers
• Liaising with clients and the accounts department on invoices/payment chasing.
• Saving material on a database and keeping files in clear order.
• Handling post, author copies, book orders.
• Scheduling meetings for bookfairs and trips
Departmental and company tasks
• Supporting building rights guides for bookfairs and trips and handling all associated admin
• Preparing newsletters and updating social media
• Managing reversions
• Updating rights website
• Attending Translation Team meetings and company meetings and taking minutes
Authors
• Reading books and feeding back on manuscripts
• Organising clients’ trips and interviews
• Handling enquiries about translation rights sales
• Preparing marketing materials for the same as needed
• Creating publication roundups
Knowledge, skills, experience
Essential:
• Experience in a support role, ideally in a related industry
• Administrative experience including diary management, computer and database skills
• Knowledge of Microsoft Office
• Adaptability and ability to juggle multiple projects and independently prioritise workload
• Meticulous attention to detail
• Excellent organisational and record-keeping skills
• Self-motivated and able to take initiative
• A love for books and an interest in literature in translation
Desirable:
• Language skills
• Confidence working directly with internal staff at all levels, clients and outside partners
• Excellent communication skills; in-person, on the phone and on video calls
• Diplomacy, tact and discretion
To apply
Please send your CV and covering letter to Giulia Bernabè (giuliabernabe@davidhigham.co.uk) including your notice period, if applicable.
The closing date for applications is Sunday 21st September. DHA reserves the right to close the application process early if we have found the right candidate.
Please include your name in the subject line of the email. We offer expenses for travel to London to attend interviews. Please let us know if you require any reasonable adjustments during the interview process.
DHA welcomes applications from any individual regardless of ethnic origin, gender, disability, religious belief, sexual orientation, or age. All applicants will be considered on merit.