Twelve women representing the generation that laid the foundations of the Canadian publishing industry, from the 1960s to 1985, will receive the 2011 President’s Award at this year’s annual banquet of the Association of Canadian Publishers.
The list is intended to be representative of a larger number. “Many, many women, some still active in publishing, some retired, and some who have passed away, made enormous contributions in those early days. This award is meant to honour them all,” said ACP President, Margie Wolfe.
The representative women to be honoured, and the companies where they made their greatest contributions, are: Patsy Aldana (Groundwood Books); Louise Dennys (Lester & Orpen Dennys); Diana Douglas (Self-Counsel Press); Valerie Hussey (Kids Can Press); Carol Martin (Peter Martin Associates); Anne Millyard (Annick Press); Libby Oughton (Ragweed Press); Anna Porter (Key Porter Books); Ellen Seligman, (McClelland & Stewart); Annabel Slaight, (Owl); Ann Wall (House of Anansi Press); and the Women’s Press Collective, represented by Carolyn Wood.
Each year, the President’s Award is given to a person or persons who have made substantial long-term contributions to the ACP and to the Canadian publishing industry.
Some 100 guests are expected to attend the banquet, which will also feature CBC broadcaster Michael Enright as guest speaker.