Viking Non-Fiction Editorial Trainee

Overview

The Scheme is for voices we want to hear more of in publishing. Could yours be one of them? Make your mark by spending six months between January – July 2026 working with the best at the number one publisher in the UK. You’ll immerse yourself within one of our key business areas, learning the ropes, taking ownership of projects and contributing to our mission to make books for everyone.

Whatever team you’re placed with, you’ll gain universally applicable skills that will equip you for wherever you go next. We’ll teach you about all publishing and Penguin, and support you to make the next steps in your career journey.

The Scheme is for people from lower socio‑economic backgrounds. If you meet this eligibility criteria but perhaps you’re changing careers, don’t have a degree, or haven’t often seen yourself reflected in publishing, we’d love you to apply! Whatever your gender, background, or community, we want to hear your story.

All trainees are paid £25,500 per annum (equivalent to £12,750 for the six months of the traineeship). We also offer a travel bursary for those commuting from outside of London.

Are you driven by an insatiable curiosity…?

Are you driven by an insatiable curiosity about the world – from history and politics to science and culture? Are you constantly seeking out the latest ideas, debates and innovations? Are you fascinated by the world of books and keen to know more?

If you’re interested in non‑fiction books and bringing ideas and stories to a wider audience, this could be the role for you.

About Viking

Founded in the UK forty years ago, Viking is the longstanding home for high‑quality, culture‑defining writers across fiction and non‑fiction. We love publishing books that combine brilliant writing with popular appeal, that hit the bestseller lists, win prizes and shed light on the world around us. Our non‑fiction authors range from prize‑winning historians and cutting‑edge scientists to distinguished journalists and outstanding memoirists, including Anthony Bale, Julia Boyd, Pope Francis, Luke Kemp, Natasha Lunn, Ben Macintyre, Michelle Obama and John Robins.

What you will do

As an editorial trainee with Viking Non‑Fiction, you will gain a rare and insightful overview of the publishing work that takes place every day at a leading non‑fiction imprint. You’ll get the opportunity to be involved in every aspect of a book’s life cycle, including reading proposals for new books, gaining an insight into the editing process, writing book descriptions for the cover and online, and understanding how we work with each department to create the finished book.

Many of the books we publish at Viking start out as an idea – whether that’s from an interesting article we’ve read, an up‑and‑coming academic we’ve heard about, or someone spotting an interesting conversation online. As an editorial trainee, you will also have a unique opportunity to support the team identifying and commissioning new authors, and helping to publish new voices.

Knowledge and skills you’ll gain

an understanding of the publishing industry and the non‑fiction market; insight into all aspects of a book’s life cycle and how to successfully publish a book; communication and networking skills; project management skills; and IT proficiency across Microsoft Office and publishing‑specific systems such as Biblio, PowerBI, Bookscan and Keyword Management System.

Eligibility criteria

You’ll need to have a pre‑existing right to work in the UK for the duration of the traineeship as unfortunately we are not able to offer visa sponsorship. You don’t need a degree, you just need to be over 18.

To achieve our mission to make books for everyone because a book can change anyone, we are seeking out new voices. To apply, you’ll need to identify as from a lower socio‑economic background.

We use parental occupation at age 14 to measure this as the Social Mobility Commission suggests it to be the most accurate measure available to assess socio‑economic background, as well as being accessible to those from all nationalities.

• technical and craft occupations such as motor mechanic, plumber, printer, electrician, gardener, train driver
• routine, semi‑routine manual and service occupations such as postal worker, machine operative, security guard, caretaker, farm worker, catering assistant, sales assistant, HGV driver, cleaner, porter, packer, labourer, waiter or waitress, bar staff
• unemployed (claimed Jobseeker’s Allowance or earlier unemployment benefit for more than a year)

We recognise these are broad categories that may not fully reflect the many hundreds of jobs out there, or exactly fit your family situation. Please use your judgement when self‑identifying.