Harrogate school to proudly welcome back pupil who became big in publishing

A distinguished Harrogate school alumna who has worked with everyone from Margaret Atwood and Brian Eno and Kae Tempest is coming back to share her experiences with today’s crop of young students.
By Graham Chalmers
Published 27th Jun 2023, 13:51 BST
Updated 29th Jun 2023, 09:07 BST
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This Saturday will see former pupil and top British and international publishing director Alexa von Hirschberg arrive as the guest speaker at Ashville College’s annual prize-giving ceremony to be attended by parents, pupils, staff, and governors.

Since leaving the Harrogate independent school 20 years ago, Alexa has built a career in publishing after graduating with a degree in English Literature and Language from King’s College, London.

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Her homecoming talk will be part of Ashville College’s Speech Day when awards will be presented to Senior School and Sixth Form pupils for exceptional academic achievements and notable contributions to college life.

Now - Top British and international publishing director Alexa von Hirschberg is to return to Ashville College in Harrogate as a guest speaker.Now - Top British and international publishing director Alexa von Hirschberg is to return to Ashville College in Harrogate as a guest speaker.
Now - Top British and international publishing director Alexa von Hirschberg is to return to Ashville College in Harrogate as a guest speaker.

Alexa was recently appointed publishing director at Weidenfeld & Nicolson, whose star-studded portfolio of authors include Alice Walker and Phillippe Sands.

She had previously held the same role at Faber & Faber and, before that, spent 11 years working with Bloomsbury Publishing.

She has also worked with a range of bestselling and award-winning writers; at Bloomsbury these included Margaret Atwood and Reni Eddo-Lodge.

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At Faber & Faber, the high-profile authors she represented included Kae Tempest, Don Paterson and Brian Eno.

Then - Alexa von Hirschberg , Publishing director at Weidenfeld & Nicolson, pictured in her school days at Ashville College in Harrogate.Then - Alexa von Hirschberg , Publishing director at Weidenfeld & Nicolson, pictured in her school days at Ashville College in Harrogate.
Then - Alexa von Hirschberg , Publishing director at Weidenfeld & Nicolson, pictured in her school days at Ashville College in Harrogate.

Alexa said: “It is an honour to be invited back to Ashville to speak to the students on Speech Day.

"I look back fondly on my school years and hope to provide some insight into the thriving publishing industry in this country.”

In addition to taking the stage at Speech Day in Memorial Hall, one of the school’s most historic buildings, Alexa will feature in a new commemorative book, 40 Years, Stories, Women.

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The commemorative book profiles 40 girls or women who have studied or worked at Ashville College in a celebration of the four decades that the school has been co-educational.

The book will be launched after the Speech Day event and will be attended by members of the school’s alumni organisation, the Ashvillian Society, as well as staff and other members of the school community.

Related topics:FaberHarrogateAshville College