Vancouver World City of Literature - The Association of Book ...

aboriginal artists and publishers can apply for substantial grants to help them publish in
English, French, or aboriginal languages. Major funding has also been announced for the
preservation and dissemination of BC’s aboriginal languages.
Regarding French and French/English translations there is not a notable amount of BC
work in this area, primarily because of the important role publishers in Canada’s province of
Quebec play in bringing such works to the world. That said, one of the finalists for the 2007
Scotiabank Giller Prize for fiction (arguably Canada’s most prestigious award program) was
a French/English translation published by BC’s Douglas & McIntyre: Daniel Poliquin’s A
Secret Between Us (originally published in French by Boréal publishers under the title La
kermesse).
Similarly, while some major international works translated from other languages are published
in Canada or imported into local markets, this is not a particular area of focus for
BC-based publishers.
literary magazines and book media
BC’s magazine industry is among the most vibrant in the country, boasting more than
300 hundred magazines including Canada’s most widely read literary magazine, Geist,
and the groundbreaking international magazine Adbusters. BC magazines are estimated
to reach up to 85% of British Columbians, generating annual revenues of approximately
$99 million 10 . They include such notable and award-winning literary magazines as FRONT,
Event, The Malahat Review, Neo-Opsis Science Fiction Magazine, PRISM International,
Ricepaper, Room, subTerrain, The Capilano Review, and The Claremont Review.
The BC magazine industry is an integral part of literary culture in Vancouver, providing
local authors with a wide range of important outlets for their work and participating in a
number of innovative collaborations with authors, artists, and book publishers. For the past
seven years the British Columbia Association of Magazine Publishers and the Association
of Book Publishers of British Columbia have joined together to host a much-loved weeklong
literary festival throughout the province: BC Book & Magazine Week. This festival—
comprising readings, workshops, parties, and performances—highlights the strength of the
BC publishing industry as well as the popular support that exists for it.
chapter three: the literary city
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