Penny Silva

Penny Silva – Editor

Deputy Chief Editor then Director of the Oxford English Dictionary; 23 years at the OUP. Now editing texts for a varied range of authors.

Overview

I was Managing Editor of "A Dictionary of South African English" (1996, OUP, Oxford), responsible for drafting of text right through to proofing the galleys. I then became Deputy Chief Editor of the Oxford English Dictionary, then Director of the OED. After retirement I worked for the OED as a part-time revision editor until 2020, and since then have edited scholarly papers and books, on a range of topics, for academics who have English as their second language. I have also edited a 19th-century journal, providing historical context and biography, and hundreds of footnotes. I love editorial work, especially that related to language or history, and really enjoy my growing relationships with authors. I am happy to suggest restructuring a text if that works better, and I don't mind the authors making last-minute changes.


Helping to make the paper or book the best it can be is important to me!

Services
Non-Fiction
Biographies & Memoirs Education & Reference History
Fiction
Children's Contemporary Fiction Cultural & Ethnic Historical Fiction Literary Fiction
Languages
English (SA) English (UK) English (US)
Certifications
  • MA (History)
  • BA (Hons.) (English & Linguistics)

Work experience

Oxford University Press

Feb, 1999 — Sep, 2010 (over 11 years)

As Deputy Chief Editor of the Oxford English Dictionary I managed six teams of Editors revising the Dictionary, as well as revising the text myself. As Director, I was responsible for seventy editors and freelance assistants and a large budget, and I initiated the commissioning of a new suite of editorial software modules. I continued to work part-time post-retirement, updating the OED text, until 2020.

I have contributed chapters to various collections of academic papers: 'Lexicography and the OED', ed. Lynda Mugglestone (1992, OUP, Oxford); 'Focus on South Africa', ed. Vivian de Klerk (1996, John Benjamins, Amsterdam); 'Englishes around the World' vol. 2, ed. Edgar W. Schneider (1997, John Benjamins, Amsterdam); 'The Major Varieties of English: Papers from MAVEN 97', eds. Hans Lindquist et al. (1998, Almqvist & Wiksell, Växjö); and 'Who's Centric Now?' ed. Bruce Moore (2001, OUP, Melbourne).

Dictionary Unit for South African English, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa

Jan, 1989 — Jan, 1999 (about 10 years)

I managed a team of four other editors, revising the lexicographic material collected over several decades; I designed the schedule towards completion, negotiated the contract with the Oxford University Press in Oxford for the 'Dictionary of South African English on Historical Principles' (1996, OUP, Oxford); drafted thousands of senses, and proofread the entire text. We completed the revision in 1995, on target, and FTP'd it to the Press, the first large text to be delivered in this way.

I edited 'The Albany Journals of Thomas Shone' (1992, Rhodes University, Grahamstown) for the Graham's Town Series, a series publishing South African manuscripts, with historical context and notes.

Portfolio

Developmental Editing

Penny has 49 reviews

Professionalism

Quality

Value

Responsiveness

Leonora M.

Leonora M.

Aug, 2024

Pinned
Penny was wonderful in every way. I had written a novel partly set in South Africa, and was very excited to find someone with such extensive experience in SA English as well as such a high level of expertise in English in general. Penny did an amazing job with my novel. She was very quick to reply to any queries I had and the project was delivered early. She caught all the typos I had missed as...
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Penny S.
Thank you so much, Leonora! Working on your book was a delight!
Bryan S.

Bryan S.

Aug, 2024

Pinned
Penny was a pleasure to work with. I was looking for someone that would stay focused on the text and not get sidetracked by the academically controversial content, and in that regard she was perfect. I have absolute confidence in her technical expertise and highly recommend her to others.
Penny S.
Thank you so much Bryan - I really value your response, and I really enjoyed working in your book.
Icylin T.

Icylin T.

Jun, 2024

Pinned
I had the pleasure of working with Ms. Penny on my recent book review, and I am beyond impressed with her work. She provided constructive feedback that was both thoughtful and encouraging, making the entire editing process a delight. Her professionalism and dedication to excellence truly shine through in every aspect of her work. I highly recommend Ms. Penny to anyone seeking a top-notch editor.
Penny S.
Thank you for your kind words, Icylin! You were a pleasure to work with, and your book is delightful! Best of luck with its publication.
Seamus G.

Seamus G.

Nov, 2024

Excellent and attentive work completed with consummate ease by Penny.. Highly recommended.
Penny S.
Seamus, thank you! It was a privilege to edit your story.
scott L.

scott L.

Nov, 2024

We agreed on developing editing and currently it looks as if only a proofreading has been done which is only worth half of what I paid. I have not received any critique for developing my project.
Penny S.
I am really sorry that you have this reaction, Scott. I edited your book as I felt it needed to be done. I didn’t see any need for ‘development,’ as the book reads well just as you wrote it. I am s...
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