Saskatchewan Book Publishing Week

September 14, 2016

By Kelly Laycock

Saskatchewan Book Publishing Week might not be on everyone’s calendar yet (this is only the second year of it’s existence), but it should be. It is a time to celebrate the creative endeavors of more than 100 employed professionals and 600 volunteers from across the province in the collaborative art of telling stories and sharing information. Professionals in the industry include, but are not limited to, manuscript editors, copy editors, proofreaders, graphic designers, printers, marketing officers, publicists, warehouse staff, bookkeepers, managing editors, distribution staff, sales staff, event co-ordinators, technicians, IT personnel, indexers and translators.

On October 5, 2015, SaskBooks, the provincial publishers association, issued a media release (written by Jillian Bell) with details about the new week-long event. Brenda Niskala, author and Executive Director of SaskBooks, had this to say: “This celebratory week was declared to recognize the activities of Saskatchewan’s publishers, who collectively contribute to the province’s cultural landscape and GDP. Saskatchewan’s publishers produce books that tell Saskatchewan’s stories, and they help us share our stories with the world.”

The release went on to add, “Saskatchewan publishers produce books in all genres, including fiction, non-fiction, poetry, children’s and young adult titles, cookbooks, colouring books, and graphic novels. Saskatchewan publishers produce more than 100 books a year, and the industry contributes almost $2.25 million to the province’s economy.”

That is certainly a reason to celebrate. In honour of the important contributions made by Saskatchewan publishers and the authors who share their voices with us, we thought we would highlight a sampling of the local law-related fare.

To get more involved in Saskatchewan Book Publishing Week, check out these events hosted by SaskBooks.