
The Perilous Trade
Book Publishing in Canada, 1946-2006
Roy Macskimming(Author)
McClelland & Stewart Inc. (Publisher)
Published on 2. January 2007
Book
Paperback/Softback
512 pages
978-0-7710-5494-5 (ISBN)
Description
A book that will fascinate and inform readers who love Canadian writing
"Publishing Canadian books has always been an experiment. Like the great experiments of building a transcontinental railway and a national broadcasting system, it constitutes one of the nation's defining acts. Publishing, after all, is a people's way of telling its story to itself.”
-from the Introduction
Part cultural history, part personal memoir, this accomplished, sweeping, yet intimate book demonstrates that the story of Canadian publishing is one of the cornerstones of our literary history.
In The Perilous Trade, former publisher, literary journalist, and industry insider Roy MacSkimming chronicles the extraordinary journey of English-language publishing from the Second World War to the present. During a period of unparalleled transformation, Canada grew from a cultural colony fed on the literary offerings of London and New York to a mature nation whose writers are celebrated around the world. Crucial to that evolution were three generations of book publishers - mavericks, gamblers, entrepreneurs, political activists, and true believers - sharing a conviction that Canadians need books of their own.
Canadian publishing has long made headlines -be it Jack McClelland's outrageous publicity stunts, American takeovers, the collapse of venerable imprints, or bold political moves to ensure the industry's survival. Roy MacSkimming takes us behind the headlines to draw memorable portraits of the men and women who built Canada's literary renaissance. With a novelist's eye for character and incident, he weaves their tangled relationships with authors, agents, booksellers and each other into a lively narrative rich in anecdote and revealing personal recollection. Canadian publishers large and small have nurtured a literature of extraordinary diversity and breadth, MacSkimming argues, giving us English Canada's greatest cultural achievement.
"Publishing Canadian books has always been an experiment. Like the great experiments of building a transcontinental railway and a national broadcasting system, it constitutes one of the nation's defining acts. Publishing, after all, is a people's way of telling its story to itself.”
-from the Introduction
Part cultural history, part personal memoir, this accomplished, sweeping, yet intimate book demonstrates that the story of Canadian publishing is one of the cornerstones of our literary history.
In The Perilous Trade, former publisher, literary journalist, and industry insider Roy MacSkimming chronicles the extraordinary journey of English-language publishing from the Second World War to the present. During a period of unparalleled transformation, Canada grew from a cultural colony fed on the literary offerings of London and New York to a mature nation whose writers are celebrated around the world. Crucial to that evolution were three generations of book publishers - mavericks, gamblers, entrepreneurs, political activists, and true believers - sharing a conviction that Canadians need books of their own.
Canadian publishing has long made headlines -be it Jack McClelland's outrageous publicity stunts, American takeovers, the collapse of venerable imprints, or bold political moves to ensure the industry's survival. Roy MacSkimming takes us behind the headlines to draw memorable portraits of the men and women who built Canada's literary renaissance. With a novelist's eye for character and incident, he weaves their tangled relationships with authors, agents, booksellers and each other into a lively narrative rich in anecdote and revealing personal recollection. Canadian publishers large and small have nurtured a literature of extraordinary diversity and breadth, MacSkimming argues, giving us English Canada's greatest cultural achievement.
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Toronto
Canada
Product notice
Paperback (trade)
Dimensions
Height: 229 mm
Width: 154 mm
Thickness: 33 mm
Weight
757 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-7710-5494-5 (9780771054945)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions

E-Book
01/2012
1st Edition
McClelland & Stewart
€22.49
Available for download
Person
Roy MacSkimming is a professional writer and a published novelist. He has been literary editor of The Toronto Star and is now director of the Association of Canadian Publishers. Roy MacSkimming and his wife, Suzette, have lived in Europe and raised two sons.