(Amherst, Mass. August 19, 2024)— The Common has announced Sam Spratford ’24 as the 2024-25 Literary Editorial Fellow, marking the fifth year of the fellowship at Amherst College’s award-winning, open-access literary journal.
Launched in 2020 with the generous support of the Whiting Foundation and sustained by Amherst College alumni donors, the Literary Editorial Fellowship (LEF) was introduced with three goals in mind: to strengthen the bridge between The Common’s existing Literary Publishing Internship (LPI) for undergraduates and the professional publishing world; to provide real-world literary experience for an Amherst graduate, transferable to a wide range of fields; and to increase the capacity of The Common’s publishing and programming operations.
The full-time, postgraduate fellow assists the managing editor with print and digital production; edits and proofreads prose and poetry, working closely with contributors; creates multimedia web features; mentors current LPI students; and develops, organizes, and staffs innovative events on campus and across the country.
Sam Spratford ’24 is the fifth Literary Editorial Fellow, following Olive Amdur ’23, Sofia Belimova ’22, Elly Hong ’21, and Isabel Yao Meyers ’20. Spratford was The Common’s inaugural David Applefield ’78 Fellow in 2023 and wrote a profile of the namesake of the magazine’s first endowed fund, an essay that appeared in Issue 26. In addition to their work at The Common, Sam served as editor-in-chief of The Amherst Student, the College’s student-run newspaper, and graduated magna cum laude in May 2024 with a degree in Law, Jurisprudence, and Social Thought.
“The Common has helped me grow as a reader and communicator, and has deepened my understanding of the literary world,” Spratford said. “I’m grateful to be able to continue my work as the next Literary Editorial Fellow and take a more integral role in a publication whose mission I deeply believe in.” Spratford is particularly excited to take on fiction and nonfiction editorial projects, extending The Common’s commitment to close and supportive working relationships with their contributors, many of whom are emerging authors. The LEF is designed to provide recently graduated students with a stepping stone between academic work and the greater publishing world.
The Common’s founder and editor in chief Jennifer Acker said, “With excellent newspaper and leadership experience already under their belt, Sam will take on important editorial work with authors, help guide the intern team, and provide The Common with a unique Gen Z perspective.” Since 2010, Acker has directed the Literary Publishing Internship, which employs eight to ten students year round. She also directs Amherst College’s LitFest, heading into its 10th anniversary.
The LEF position is only one example of Amherst’s commitment to supporting hands-on learning, introducing students to practical and intellectual applications of its liberal arts curriculum. “The Common provides students avenues to apply their humanistic education in the world, at a time when critical thinking, curiosity, and interdisciplinary perspectives are needed more than ever. We’re fortunate that the Literary Editorial Fellowship enables this focus to extend beyond graduation, as students take the first steps toward literary careers,” said Martha Umphrey, Amherst College’s Provost and Dean of the Faculty.
About The Common
The Common is a print and digital literary journal published biannually. Issues of The Common include fiction, essays, poems and images that embody a strong sense of place. Each spring, the magazine features a rich portfolio of Arabic fiction in translation, introducing English-language readers to new and exciting voices from across the Middle East and North Africa. Since its debut in 2011, The Common has published more than 1,500 authors from 56 countries. Pieces from The Common have been awarded the O. Henry Prize, the PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Award for Emerging Writers, and have been selections and notable mentions in multiple genres in the prestigious Best American series. The journal’s editorial vision and design have been praised in The New Yorker, The Boston Globe, Slate, The Millions, Orion Magazine, and The Chronicle of Higher Education.
Former Literary Publishing Interns have gone on to publish acclaimed novels, win Watson Fellowships, study English literature at top graduate programs, and work at nonprofit organizations and literary publishers around the world. Beyond mentoring undergraduates, The Common supports educators from high school to graduate levels through The Common in the Classroom and hosts summer writing courses for high school students via The Common Young Writers Program. Read more about the magazine’s programs here.
