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''B.C. BookWorld'' is a
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, ...
-based quarterly newspaper about the book trade. It was established in 1987. Founded by
Alan Twigg Alan Twigg, CM is a Canadian writer, publisher, and biographer. He published BC Bookworld for many years, a trade newspaper for the British Columbia book publishing industry, and ABCBookWorld, an online encyclopedia of British Columbia authors. H ...
in 1987, ''B.C. BookWorld'' is Canada's largest-circulation, independent publication about books.


Mission

''B.C. BookWorld'' aims to take the reviewing process out of the book publication trade, as its founder feels that most book reviews are too highbrow for the average reader's tastes. Founder Alan Twigg writes about ''B.C. Bookworld'': :''With BookWorld we have tried, from the outset, to institutionalize an educational newspaper that favours lively, up-to-date news rather than opinions. To do so, we have essentially taken a high-brow subject - books - and married it with a low-brow format - the tab newspaper. The end result is a middle-brow product that everyone can enjoy and use. It's pretty simple. And yet when I look at most other publications about books, it still seems to be unique.'' :''Why cater to ten per cent of the population, the literary aristocracy, when you can reach the 80% of the population who like to read books? The general public is understandably turned off by the traditional book reviewing process, for good reasons. Your average book review consists of one literary aristocrat trying to tell other literary aristocrats how to think. Too often the reviewer is so busy trying to impress the reader with his or her intelligence and writing skill that he or she neglects to pass along basic information about what the hell the book is about.'' :''At least half of the book reviews I see are corrupt. That is, all too often reviewers, who are usually underpaid or not paid at all, will 'pay themselves' by taking the freedom to abuse the public platform. Some will co-opt the space as an advertisement for themselves. Others will irresponsibly slag their enemies or support their friends. When reviewers are underpaid, it's very hard for an editor to ask for a re-write. The public by and large senses these recurrent failings and shuns the process.''


Staff

''B.C. BookWorld'' publishes with a permanent staff of only two employees: * David Lester, a musician with the music duo
Mecca Normal Mecca (; officially Makkah al-Mukarramah, commonly shortened to Makkah ()) is a city and administrative center of the Mecca Province of Saudi Arabia, and the holiest city in Islam. It is inland from Jeddah on the Red Sea, in a narrow valle ...
* Alan Twigg, who is also an author on subjects that include history, politics, soccer and the
Dalai Lama Dalai Lama (, ; ) is a title given by the Tibetan people to the foremost spiritual leader of the Gelug or "Yellow Hat" school of Tibetan Buddhism, the newest and most dominant of the four major schools of Tibetan Buddhism. The 14th and current Dal ...
. The publication has been supported and overseen by Pacific BookWorld News Society since 1988.


Publication details

''B.C. BookWorld'' publishes in March, June, September and November.


Related activities

In addition to the quarterly publication, ''B.C. BookWorld'' are involved in several book-related activities in the British Columbia area.


Awards

''B.C. BookWorld'' sponsors the annual B.C. Book Prizes competition, co-founded by ''B.C. BookWorlds publisher in 1985. The staff currently coordinates the annual "George Ryga Award for Social Awareness" and also oversees management of, and provides financial sponsorship for, the $3000 "George Woodcock Lifetime Achievement Award" for B.C. authors.


Conferences

''B.C. BookWorld'' sponsored "Reckoning '07", a conference on the past and future of West Coast writing and publishing in Canada. In 1984 ''B.C. BookWorld'' coordinated a gathering of Canadian authors to celebrate the career
George Woodcock George Woodcock (; May 8, 1912 – January 28, 1995) was a Canadian writer of political biography and history, an anarchist thinker, a philosopher, an essayist and literary critic. He was also a poet and published several volumes of travel wri ...
.


Websites

''B.C. Bookworld'' maintain two separate websites:
reference service
that provides information on books and authors related to
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, ...
; and a basi
information site
related to the publication itself.


References


External links


BC BookWorld

ABC BookWorld
{{DEFAULTSORT:B.C. Bookworld Newspapers published in British Columbia Newspapers established in 1987 1987 establishments in British Columbia