Talonbooks

Talonbooks is the leading publisher of drama in Canada and has been publishing works by influential Canadian authors for over four decades. As one of Canada’s premier independent publishers, its dynamic repertoire features authors of international stature, writing in the literary genres of poetry, fiction and drama, as well as non-fiction books in the fields of ethnography, environmental and social issues, cultural studies, and literary criticism. The company started out as a magazine called Talon in 1963. It was run by David Robinson and some of his high school friends, and it later incorporated Jim Brown, who acted as both a writer and editor for the publication. Talon later joined with a small local press called Very Stone House and published its first string of poetry books in 1967. The association with Very Stone House ended a year later, and the Talonbooks imprint started appearing by itself. In 1969, with the addition of Peter Hay as drama editor, Talonbooks published its first drama title, Colours in the Dark by James Reaney. Its editorial focus began shifting gradually more toward drama until it became the company’s area of specialization. Karl Siegler became the business manager for Talonbooks in 1974 and is now the publisher.

Talon’s authors have been the recipients of numerous prestigious national and international awards. Their works continue to make a difference in furthering a sense of cultural and social awareness in the world, challenging conventional thinking and pushing the boundaries of language and creativity. Prominent Talon authors include Michel Tremblay, George Ryga, bpNichol, George Bowering, bill bissett and Mary Meigs.

Sources

*cite paper| author =Michael Hayward| title =Talonbooks: Publishing from the Margins | version =| publisher =Simon Fraser University, Vancouver| date =April 1991| url =http://www.harbour.sfu.ca/~hayward/talon/index.html| format =HTML| accessdate =2007-11-25
* [http://www.talonbooks.com Talonbooks official website]