This news is very discouraging. Here is what the Association of Canadian Publishers’ executive director had to say about the change in ownership for these two flagship publishers.
The takeover of McClelland & Stewart and Tundra by a multinational corporation has been a dispiriting start to the new year. Although the transition of these two venerated houses from independent Canadian publishers to branch-plant imprints has been a gradual one, they have now landed at the bottom of the slippery slope with quite a thud. The final transfer of these quintessentially Canadian assets into the hands of foreign interests reflects the inadequacy of the net-benefit test and the ways in which it is applied.
The good news is that where once there were only a few Canadian publishers championing our authors and bringing them to a national and then an international audience, there are now many. Anansi continues its ride on the best seller lists; D&M/Greystone and Anvil both have books on the short list for the Taylor Prize announced this week. We congratulate them, and all the other independent publishers who carry on the legacy of Jack McClelland and May Cutler: an industry built on passion for great writing and commitment to the literary and cultural vitality of our country.
Carolyn Wood, Executive Director
Association of Canadian Publishers
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