We’ve hosted book launches online, at conferences, in historic houses, at coffee shops, in office buildings, and at craft breweries. But the best launches always happen in a bookstore surrounded by shelves of books, knowledgeable and helpful store staff, and maybe a cheese platter or two. Our authors are situated around the globe which means we’re not always able to attend the celebration of their book reaching publication. In those cases, we like to rely on capable and enthusiastic independent bookstores. We know they will always treat our authors with care and their extended communities will always show up.
This University Press Week, we’d like to highlight just a few of the independent bookstores in Canada that have created a home for our authors over the years.
Windowseat Books is a wonderful new and used shop tucked in the heart of the Old City Quarter in Nanaimo, British Columbia. Founded in 2018, they are Nanaimo’s newest bookshop and we had the opportunity to be part of their first-ever event! Amma’s Daughters by Meenal Shrivastava was the first launch and reading hosted by Windowseat.
Ben McNally Books in Toronto, Ontario has been on the move for the past couple of months. First stationed at 366 Bay Street and heralded as Toronto’s Most Beautiful Bookstore, they are now working on a new location at 108 Queen Street East. We launched Unforgetting Private Charles Smith by Jonathan Locke Hart at their original Bay Street location.
Octopus Books in Ottawa, Ontario has been around since 1996 and is the coolest building on the block. Many of their events focus on giving a platform to Indigenous peoples, racialized people, and other marginalized groups. We had the opportunity to launch From Turtle Island to Gaza by David Groulx and Living on the Land: Indigenous Women’s Understand of Place edited by Nathalie Kermoal and Isabel Altamirano-Jiménez in this welcoming and inclusive space.
Another Story Bookshop in Toronto, Ontario focuses on themes of social justice, equity, and diversity. They were founded in 1987 and maintain a selection that reflects the commitment of their founder Sheila Koffman to increase representation of different perspectives. We launched Without Apology: Writings on Abortion in Canada edited by Shannon Stettner here.
Back in our hometown of Edmonton, Alberta, Audreys Books has been a mainstay of the literary and academic community since 1975. They have hosted many of our authors over the years and are always excellent partners for whatever event we’ve concocted. Recently we launched Bucking Conservatism: Alternative Stories of Alberta from the 1960s and 1970s edited by Leon Crane Bear, Larry Hannant, and Karissa Robyn Patton and “Truth Behind Bars”: Reflections on the Fate of the Russian Revolution by Paul Kellogg.
Thank you to all the independent bookstores who contribute to the success of the university press community. Your orders, event organizing, social media posts, and general support mean the world to us.
