This article was originally published on our sister site for young book professionals, Publishing Trendsetter.
One of the world’s biggest English-language publishing hubs can be found in Toronto. Canada’s largest city boasts an extensive book culture, housing the Canadian offices of the Big Six Five, as well as impressive local independent presses. The Canadians are proud of their literary heritage and its contributions to the global arts scene, and the government actively works to promote Canadian literature throughout the country and around the world.
In Toronto, the Ontario Media Development Corporation (OMDC) is a government agency that “promotes, enhances and leverages investment, jobs, and original content creation” in the province’s media industry. The OMDC supports trade organizations and industry-wide marketing events; hosts Digital Dialogue, an annual conference that brings together media executives to network and discuss topics about emerging digital opportunities; and administers Ontario’s Trillium Book Award for literary excellence. It also hosts From Page to Screen, an initiative that encourages the screen adaptation of Canadian literature by bringing film and TV executives together with Ontario publishers.
Most independent Canadian presses are members of the Association of Canadian Publishers (ACP), which supports Canadian writers and Canadian literature through professional development and government relations. Among the ACP’s membership are the acclaimed Coach House Books (their office is actually in an old coach house!), Dundurn Press, ECW Press, and Second Story Press, which published international bestseller Hana’s Suitcase in 2002. The University of Toronto Press publishes scholarly books, as well as textbooks for the Canadian higher education market. Toronto is also home to several major literary agencies, including Canada’s largest agency, Westwood Creative Artists, which represents, among other distinguished writers, Life of Pi author Yann Martel. The globally recognized Harlequin brand, also headquartered in Toronto, continues to be a world leader (and pioneer in) Romance and audience engagement. Read More »
