The Association of Canadian Publishers (ACP) is pleased to announce that Margie Wolfe, president and publisher of Second Story Press, will receive the 2020 President’s Award. ACP is also delighted to award Sharon Budnarchuk, bookseller extraordinaire, with honorary lifetime membership in the association.
President’s Award recipient Margie Wolfe has worked in publishing for forty years. Along with three other women, Margie co-founded Second Story Press in 1988. Recognized for its foundational contribution to feminist-inspired works in social justice, human rights, equality, and ability issues for adults as well as young readers, Second Story’s authors and their publications have won innumerable awards and have been translated into more than fifty languages. In 2017, Margie was recognized by the Canadian Civil Liberties Association
(CCLA) for her work in “building a vibrant and inclusive society.”
“Margie’s publishing vision over the past thirty plus years has been a force field for change,” said ACP president, Melissa Pitts. “She seeks out authors and takes on topics that result in new voices and histories storming bestseller lists, changing school curricula, and engaging a new generation of readers. She has given generously of her time to the Canadian publishing industry, not only in her past roles as president of the ACP and Ontario Book Publishers Organization (OBPO), but also through her tireless advocacy and committee work, talks and presentations, and mentorships. Margie’s influence on Canadian publishing has been transformative.”
A banner year, 1988 was also when Sharon Budnarchuk and her husband, Steve, took charge of Audreys Books, Edmonton’s oldest independent bookstore. Sharon, who began her book industry career in 1969, recognized the need for a bookstore to promote local authors. Over the years, Sharon built Audreys’ strong offering in Canadian regional history and fiction and the store quickly became not only a significant hub for works by Alberta writers, but also a reading and events venue where all writers and readers aspired to be.
ACP past-president Glenn Rollans, publisher at Brush Education in Edmonton, said, “I am so glad that we have this chance to honour Sharon’s extraordinary, generous, discerning, passionate and brave persistence as an independent bookseller during an era and in a city that have been very challenging for this most essential profession. We owe her so much; we are grateful for her work, her generosity, her friendship, and her service to Canadian books and readers.”
The President’s Award is awarded to ACP members who have made a significant contribution to the Canadian publishing industry and to the ACP. Honorary lifetime membership in ACP is presented to an individual or group who is not a member of ACP, but has made a significant contribution to the association and to the Canadian publishing industry.
This year’s awards are being announced in conjunction with ACP’s 2020 Annual General Meeting, which will be held online on June 24, 2020. The association looks forward to presenting Margie and Sharon with their awards, and to celebrating their many achievements, at the earliest opportunity.