There is a wide smile on my face as I begin to type this: my first ever blog post. I have a beautiful writing area, mine alone, set up in a corner of our den. My white desk sits beside one of the many windows in our house. Although it is a dull, late March day as I type this, the open blinds let in some much-needed light. I have lit a French lavender candle in a green glass jar, a Christmas gift from my stepdaughter. Space is tight on my small desk, so the candle sits on the base of my lamp. The piece de resistance for my writing life is calming, classical piano playing quietly in the background on my laptop. I am exactly where I want to be.
There are a few things on my mind today. One is the upcoming sale of Canadian publishing house, Simon & Schuster, to Bertelsmann, a German conglomerate. Subject to regulatory approval, the deal will see Penguin Random House Canada (formerly three separate publishers and owned by Bertelsmann) merge with Simon & Schuster. By some estimates, this will mean a combined market share of over 50%. As with all industries, the joining of several companies is a concern due to reduced competition, but in Canadian book publishing, there is an additional issue: how will Canadian authors’ voices be heard? How will works by Canadian authors be marketed and made available at home and beyond our borders?
Some will argue that this is a necessary move, in order for Canadian publishers to be able to compete with Amazon. Kate Edwards, Executive Director of the Association of Canadian Publishers, has said, “Small and medium-sized Canadian houses publish the majority of Canadian authors, including those from BIPOC and other marginalized communities and those telling local stories…The surrender of our publishing landscape pushes important Canadian voices to the margins.” The book industry has been vocal in opposing this sale, and the Canadian Writers’ Union and the Association have requested a thorough review. I will be keeping an eye on developments and will keep you posted!
Ms. Edwards’ opinion piece in the Toronto Star is here:
Also on my mind, with February having been Black History Month, are the many incredible books written by Black authors that I have enjoyed over the years. From Toni Morrison to Maya Angelou and Zora Neale Hurston, and more recently, Lawrence Hill, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Imbolo Mbue, Chimimanda Ngozi Adichie and Jesmyn Ward, Black authors have inspired and educated me, and often, necessarily, broken my heart. Their many stories of survival and resilience in the face of unspeakable atrocities are an important and unforgettable part of my reading life; but it is not all pain and desperation. There is so much beauty, joy and richness in the works of Black authors and poets, and we are all better for having read them.
I recently read “How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House” by Cherie Jones. According to the Harper Collins website: “In the tradition of Zadie Smith and Marlon James, (it is) a debut novel, set in Barbados, about four people confronting violence and love in a beachfront paradise. …How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House is an intimate and visceral portrayal of interconnected lives across race and class in a rapidly changing resort town, told by an astonishing new author of literary fiction.” It's well-written and interesting, and stayed with me for a while after I finished it!
Thanks for being here. Have a lovely and book-ish week!