Pedlar Press is an independent Canadian book publisher based in St. John'sNL, specializing in contemporary works of poetry, prose and graphic novels, works that extend the tradition of literary experimentation.
Pedlar Press was founded in 1996 by publisher Beth Follett. The house publishes seven books each year. When Follett published her own
debut novel
A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to p ...
("Tell it Slant", 2001) with
Coach House Books
Coach House Books is an independent book publishing company located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Coach House publishes experimental poetry, fiction, drama and non-fiction. The press is particularly interested in writing that pushes at the boundar ...
; it was reviewed as characterizing "the kind she publishes herself."
Pedlar's authors include poets Souvankham Thammavongsa,
Joel Thomas Hynes
Joel Thomas Hynes (born September 29, 1976) is a Canadian writer, actor and director known for his irreverent, oftentimes dark and uproarious characters and a raw, unflinching vision of modern underground Canada.
Career
His 2017 novel ''We'll A ...
,
Phil Hall (poet)
Phil Hall (born 1953 in Lindsay, Ontario) is a Canadian poet.
Education
Hall holds a M.A. in creative writing from the University of Windsor.
Career
Phil Hall started Flat Singles Press, producing broadsides & chapbooks, when he was an undergra ...
graphic novel
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 ...
ists Lorenz Peter and Fiona Smyth; and novelists Martha Baillie, Ken Sparling and
Camilla Gibb
Camilla Gibb (born February 20, 1968) is an English-born Canadian writer who currently resides in Toronto.
Early life and education
Born in London, England, she grew up in Toronto, Ontario, and studied at North Toronto Collegiate Institute and ...
, who published her
debut novel
A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to p ...
with Pedlar. The books have won numerous awards for literary quality. Examples include Camilla Gibb's 2000
Toronto Book Award The Toronto Book Awards are Canadian literary awards, presented annually by the City of Toronto government
The municipal government of Toronto ( incorporated as the City of Toronto) is the local government responsible for administering the city ...
for her
debut novel
A debut novel is the first novel a novelist publishes. Debut novels are often the author's first opportunity to make an impact on the publishing industry, and thus the success or failure of a debut novel can affect the ability of the author to p ...
''Mouthing the Words'', Souvankham Thammavongsa's ''Small Arguments'', which won the 2004 ReLit Award for Poetry and her more recent collection, ''Light'', which won the 2014 Trillium Award for Poetry, and Kate Cayley's short fiction collection, ''How You Were Born,'' which won the 2015 Trillium Book Award. In 2010, Ronna Bloom's collection ''Permiso'' was shortlisted for the
Pat Lowther Memorial Award
The Pat Lowther Memorial Award is an annual award presented by the League of Canadian Poets to the year's best book of poetry by a Canadian woman.Barry Dempster was nominated for the Ontario Premier's Award for Excellence in the Arts.
Layout, typography and design have been recognized with a total of ten citations (1998–2007) for the
Alcuin Society A voluntary association established in 1965 by Geoff Spencer, the Alcuin Society is a non-profit organisation founded for the book arts. It is located in Canada. It should not be confused with the Alcuin Club, an Anglican publishing society.
Among ...
Book Design Awards.
Pedlar Press ceased operations at the end of 2020. Founder Beth Follett attributed the closure to financial constraints due to the Covid 19 pandemic.
Google Book Search
Google Books (previously known as Google Book Search, Google Print, and by its code-name Project Ocean) is a service from Google Inc. that searches the full text of books and magazines that Google has scanned, converted to text using optical c ...