Students interested in learning more about the rapidly changing publishing industry will have the chance to hear from an executive at one of the world’s leading independent publishers.

Lea Beresford, editor at Bloomsbury USA, will speak on Monday, Feb. 23, at 5:30 p.m. in The Killian Room (500) of the Hall of Languages. The event is sponsored by the Department of English and Textual Studies (ETS) and is open to all Syracuse University students. For more information, call 315-443-4950.

At Syracuse, Beresford will discuss her role at Bloomsbury (which has four major divisions, as well as companies in London, New York, Sydney, and New Delhi) and the path she took to get there. Her talk will be followed by a Q&A session.

“This is a special opportunity for students of all majors, not just ETS, to find out how the book publishing industry really works,” says Erin Mackie, professor and chair of English. “Given the many new ways information can be delivered (e.g., e-books, online books, and audio books), the industry is undergoing an incredible transformation. Lea’s visit couldn’t be more timely or relevant.”

Beresford joined Bloomsbury in 2011, after stints at Random House and the Irene Skolnick Agency. Much of her editorial work has involved literary fiction; memoirs; and food, science, and pop-culture writing. Beresford has also worked as a freelance writer for She Writes. She earned bachelor’s degrees in English and psychology at Cornell University.