Exploring Colombia with other interns during a publishing internship

Publishing Internships in Colombia

Each year, Medellín's botanical garden fills with readers for a book festival that draws crowds most cities would associate with a major concert rather than a literary event, publishers setting up alongside food stalls and live music in a celebration that treats books as public culture rather than a niche interest.

That kind of public appetite for reading runs deep in Colombia. The country produced one of the twentieth century's most influential novelists, and his legacy still shapes how Colombian publishers think about fiction's place on the world stage. Medellín's own publishing scene has grown around that literary tradition, alongside a fast-developing educational publishing sector serving the country's schools and a translation industry working to bring Colombian and wider Latin American fiction to international readers. For interns, that mix offers a close look at a book industry balancing serious literary heritage with practical, everyday publishing work.

Whether you're a university student, recent graduate, gap year student or career changer, our publishing internship program in Medellín can help you build practical experience within one of Latin America's most literature-conscious book markets.

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24Guaranteed Internship
Vetted roles in leading Medellín publishing houses, literary organizations and educational publishers.

14Complete Overseas Support
Visa assistance, Medellín housing, social & cultural events and 24/7 staff support included.

22Global Career Network
Join 15,000+ alumni with dynamic workshops, networking events, and employer references. 

Example publishing host organizations in Medellín

We've previously placed interns with organizations across Medellín's trade publishing, literary festival, educational publishing and distribution sectors. The organizations featured represent examples of the types of professional environments where participants have gained experience.

Why do a publishing internship in Medellín?

Colombia's standing as the home of one of the world's most celebrated novelists has left a lasting mark on how the country's publishers position homegrown fiction, and editors here work with real awareness of the literary tradition their authors are writing into. Interns supporting that work see editorial decisions shaped by a serious sense of literary history alongside the usual commercial considerations.

Medellín's educational publishing sector has grown alongside the country's push to improve school literacy, producing textbooks and reading materials adapted for classrooms across different regions and needs. International interest in Colombian and wider Latin American fiction has also opened up a translation and rights market working to bring local authors to English-language and other international readers, work that requires editors who can spot which stories will actually travel. Meanwhile, the city's annual literary festival turns publishing into a truly public event, drawing readers who might never set foot in a bookshop the rest of the year.

Medellín is particularly strong in areas such as literary publishing, educational publishing, translation and rights, and literary festival programming, offering exposure to a book industry shaped by cultural pride and everyday classroom need.

Experience publishing rooted in literary heritage

Literary tradition and legacy
See how Colombia's celebrated literary history shapes how publishers position homegrown fiction today.

Deep specialization
Explore publishing across literary fiction, educational materials, translation and festival programming.

Latin American networking
Build connections with publishers, translators and literary professionals working across Colombia and the wider region.

Public literary culture
Learn how a major annual festival turns publishing into a truly public celebration rather than an industry-only affair.

Meeting interns during a publishing internship in Colombia

Explore publishing internships in Medellín

Medellín's publishing landscape spans literary trade houses, educational publishers, translation and rights agencies, and festival and cultural organizations. Your internship could give you the opportunity to see how organizations in the city produce and distribute books for Colombian and international readers.

Literary Festival & Program Support

Medellín's annual literary festival requires serious logistical planning to bring authors, publishers and readers together across a packed public programme. You could support event coordination, author liaison or programme research.

You could work on: Event coordination support · Author liaison support · Programme research · Guest scheduling support

Production & Design

Turning a manuscript into a finished book involves close coordination between editorial, design and print teams working to real deadlines. You could support production scheduling, cover research or proofreading.

You could work on: Production scheduling support · Cover research · Proofreading · Vendor coordination

Marketing & Publicity

Getting a title noticed means building a campaign that speaks to readers who take their literary culture seriously. You could support press outreach, campaign planning or social media content.

You could work on: Press outreach support · Campaign planning · Social media content · Event coordination

Digital & E-book Publishing

Digital formats have grown steadily alongside print, particularly for readers reaching Colombian authors from outside the country. You could support digital production coordination, metadata management or platform liaison.

You could work on: Digital production support · Metadata management · Platform liaison · Reporting

Looking for publishing internships beyond Colombia? Explore our international publishing internships to discover opportunities across a range of destinations. 

Example publishing internship roles in Colombia

Depending on your skills and interests, you could take on a role such as:

  • Content Creation & Editorial Intern
  • Editorial Innovation Intern
  • Editorial & Culture Writing Intern
  • Online Editorial Intern
  • Culture & Lifestyle Writer Intern
  • Multimedia Journalism Intern
  • Education Media Research Intern
  • Digital Content Intern

Your exact role will depend on your host organization and placement.

Explore more example Publishing roles >

Interns in Colombia on an Exotic Fruit Tour

What can you gain from our publishing internship in Medellín?

A publishing internship in Medellín goes beyond a single line on your CV/resume. You'll see how literary heritage and practical classroom need combine to shape one of Latin America's most literature-conscious book markets, and you'll build practical skills across an industry that treats reading as public culture.

  • Build Colombian publishing experience

    International publishing experience on your CV/resume shows future employers you've worked inside one of Latin America's most engaged literary markets.

  • Work on real publishing projects

    Practical skills develop through projects that could touch editorial, festival programming, educational publishing or rights, depending on your placement.

  • Grow your Latin American publishing network

    Publishers, translators and literary professionals across Medellín become real contacts, alongside fellow interns from around the world. 

  • Understand publishing shaped by literary legacy

    See how a serious literary tradition shapes editorial decisions and reader expectations.

  • Experience Medellín's publishing culture

    Literary heritage, educational publishing need and a hugely popular annual festival together shape how the city approaches the business of books. 

TIG interns exploring Medellin

What's included in the Colombia internship program?

Your program includes support designed to help you get the most from your international internship, from placement and accommodation to visa support, career coaching and 24/7 in-country support.

Explore the full Colombia internship program >

Hear from our interns in Colombia

Dana Visnovsky
Dana Visnovsky
Watch their story
Jorja Dempster
Jorja Dempster
Watch their story
Ricardo Censi
Ricardo Censi
Watch their story

"There were people I met on my internship, and we organised a trip to the jungle. We were in the middle of the northern jungle of Colombia, and being able to do that with all these people I’d never met before was incredible. We went into the jungle and, I think, we were in the middle of the lake, crocodile hunting. It was insane to think that was something we could just do. We decided to go at the last minute, and it was an amazing experience." - Jorja Dempster, intern in Colombia

"I would recommend everyone to do an internship through The Intern Group. I don’t really see age as a difference because I think it’s more of a mental thing, it’s in your head. I’m 31, so I’m a little older than some of the 20-year-old students and interns here, but I don’t feel that difference at all. Maybe that’s because everyone is so welcoming and encouraged to express their abilities and skills. I really recommend this experience, whatever your age." - Ricardo Censi, Colombia intern

Looking at street art during a publishing internship in Colombia

Is a Medellín publishing internship right for you?

A Medellín publishing internship could suit you well if you're drawn to work where literary tradition meets everyday publishing practice.

University students, recent graduates, gap year participants and career changers can build practical skills while experiencing how organizations in Medellín produce and distribute books for Colombian and international readers. Your professional network and sense of where a publishing career could take you both stand to grow from the experience.

What is it like to live as a publishing intern in Medellín?

Living as a publishing intern in Medellín means the Metro ride to work often doubles as reading time, one of the few systems in the region clean and reliable enough that finishing a chapter on the way in becomes a real habit rather than a hope. Café-bookshops scattered around the city make for an easy after-work stop, a coffee grown just a few hours away paired with a browse through the new releases table.

During festival week each September, colleagues talk about little else, comparing notes on which author's session is worth rearranging your schedule for. Weekends sometimes mean a short trip out to the surrounding coffee region, a paperback tucked in your bag for the bus ride and a proper break from the city's pace.

Apply now

Spending a weekend with other interns during a publishing internship in Colombia

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