Arsenal Pulp Press is a Canadian independent

book publishing Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...

company, based in

Vancouver Vancouver ( ) is a major city in western Canada, located in the Lower Mainland region of British Columbia. As the List of cities in British Columbia, most populous city in the province, the 2021 Canadian census recorded 662,248 people in the ...

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, ...

. The company publishes a broad range of titles in both

fiction Fiction is any creative work, chiefly any narrative work, portraying individuals, events, or places that are imaginary, or in ways that are imaginary. Fictional portrayals are thus inconsistent with history, fact, or plausibility. In a traditi ...

and

non-fiction Nonfiction, or non-fiction, is any document or media content that attempts, in good faith, to provide information (and sometimes opinions) grounded only in facts and real life, rather than in imagination. Nonfiction is often associated with be ...

, focusing primarily on underrepresented genres such as underground literature,

LGBT literature LGBT literature may refer to: * Lesbian literature * Gay literature * Bisexual literature * Transgender literature * Or any other literature featuring the LGBT community The LGBT community (also known as the LGBTQ+ community, GLBT community, ...

, multiracial literature,

graphic novels A graphic novel is a long-form, fictional work of sequential art. The term ''graphic novel'' is often applied broadly, including fiction, non-fiction, and anthologized work, though this practice is highly contested by comic scholars and industry ...

visual arts The visual arts are art forms such as painting, drawing, printmaking, sculpture, ceramics, photography, video, filmmaking, design, crafts and architecture. Many artistic disciplines such as performing arts, conceptual art, and textile arts al ...

, progressive and activist non-fiction and works in

translation Translation is the communication of the Meaning (linguistic), meaning of a #Source and target languages, source-language text by means of an Dynamic and formal equivalence, equivalent #Source and target languages, target-language text. The ...

, and is noted for founding the annual Three-Day Novel Contest.

History

Established in 1971, Scriveners' Pulp Press Limited was one of several ventures in alternative arts and literature of the early 1970s. In addition to fiction, poetry and drama titles the Press issued a twice-monthly literary magazine, Three-Cent Pulp, from 1972 to 1978, which introduced a loyal readership to new writing and graphics from around the world. In 1977 Pulp held its first 3-Day Novel Contest, a literary marathon held over the Labour Day weekend during which registered contestants attempted to write a novel in three days. Pulp Press sponsored the event until 1991. The press is located in Vancouver, BC in the city's historic Chinatown district, and employs a full-time staff of six. In 2012 it had five employees. Its main specialty is LGBT works; in 2012 it did not specialize in comics. Arsenal Pulp Press publisher Brian Lam (co-owner of the press since 1992) has been honoured with multiple professional awards for his significant contributions to LGBTQ2s+ and BIPOC publishing in North America. In 2014 he won the Community Builder Award from the Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop. In 2018, Lam received the Ivy Award from the Toronto International Festival of Authors. In 2020, Lam was awarded the

Lambda Literary The Lambda Literary Foundation (also known as Lambda Literary) is an American LGBT literature, LGBTQ literary organization whose mission is to nurture and advocate for LGBTQ writers, elevating the impact of their words to create community, prese ...

Publishing Professional Award The Lambda Literary Publishing Professional Award, established in 2016, "honors a distinguished individual in the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community whose innovative work in the publishing industry promotes and promulgates LGBTQ ...

. In the fall of 2011 Arsenal Pulp Press celebrated its 40th anniversary. The press celebrated its 50th anniversary in the fall of 2021. In March 2021, Arsenal Pulp Press became the first Canadian small press publisher to have two books make the finale of CBC

Canada Reads ''Canada Reads'' is an annual "battle of the books" competition organized and broadcast by Canada's public broadcaster, the CBC. The program has aired in two distinct editions, the English-language ''Canada Reads'' on CBC Radio One, and the Frenc ...

, Canada's national "battle of the books." The novel ''Jonny Appleseed'' by

Joshua Whitehead Joshua Whitehead is a Canadian First Nations, two spirit poet and novelist. An Oji-Cree member of the Peguis First Nation in Manitoba,Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs (born August 8, 1993), known professionally as Devery Jacobs, is an Indigenous Canadian ( Kanien'keha:ka (Mohawk)) actress and writer. For her performance in '' Rhymes for Young Ghouls'' (2013), she garnered a Canadian ...

won the competition, beating the novel ''

Butter Honey Pig Bread ''Butter Honey Pig Bread'' is Francesca Ekwuyasi's debut novel, a contemporary novel published September 3, 2020 by Arsenal Pulp Press. The book tells the story of three women, Kambirinachi and her twin daughters, Kehinde and Taiye, and takes p ...

'' by

Francesca Ekwuyasi Francesca Ekwuyasi is a Nigerian-Canadian writer and artist.Jade Nauss"Francesca Omolara Ekwuyasi moves from Penance to reconciliation" '' The Coast'', November 28, 2019. She is most noted for her debut novel ''Butter Honey Pig Bread'', which was ...

, defended by celebrity chef

Roger Mooking Roger Mooking is a Trinidadian-Canadian chef, musician, and television host. Mooking is the host of the television series '' Man Fire Food'' (2012 to present). He is also the host and co-creator of ''Everyday Exotic''. Both programs aired on the ...

Writers

Authors who have been published by Arsenal Pulp include: The company has also published art books by or on the work of Stan Douglas, Peter Flinsch,

Attila Richard Lukacs Attila Richard Lukács (born 1962) is a Canadian artist. Lukács gained international attention via his ''E-werk'' series—a collection of very large figure paintings that he created in the 1980s and 90s, while living in Berlin. The paintings f ...

, and

Ralf König Ralf König (born 8 August 1960) is one of the best known and most commercially successful German comic book creators. His books have been translated into many languages. He has resided in Soest, Dortmund and Berlin and now lives in Cologne. B ...

References

External links

Arsenal Pulp Press
{{Authority control Book publishing companies of Canada Companies based in Vancouver Small press publishing companies Publishing companies established in 1971 Canadian companies established in 1971 1971 establishments in British Columbia