Conclusions drawn from this irrefutably unexciting material are neither frequent nor powerful enough. Instead, page after page paraphrases commission reports, legislation and policy papers. Lorimer and his publisher are honest enough to announce the book’s focus on governmental publishing “policy” from the subtitle on, but dry material should always be shaped into memorable conclusions and served in vibrant prose. Smith) with more than 44% of the market cornered today by that beloved emporium of scented candles, yoga DVDs, and, oh yeah, books.ĭespite some undeniable gems from Canadian publishing history, Ultra Libris remains the sort of book that makes you wonder what it’s like to be in love with a social scientist. Ultra Libris also statistically confirms everyone’s fear of supply monopoly by contrasting the 25% Canadian market share of three retail book chains in the 1970s (including Coles and W.H. A minimum of stats allows Lorimer to show how economically improbable it is for Canadian school students to learn from Canadian, not American, textbooks. In 1971, M&S (who had already dubbed themselves “the Canadian Publishers”) received (free) government bailouts to the equivalent of nearly $6-million in today’s dollars without any examination of their titles or the saleability of their back catalogue, all before eventually being sold to a foreign conglomerate. The usual publishers shortlisted for the Giller are in fact just three different rows on the annual ledger of Germany’s Bertlesmann (including McClelland & Stewart, publisher of the New Canadian Library). Publishing and book sales in Canada comprise a more than $2-billion-a-year industry, yet much of it is foreign owned, mostly by a handful of multinationals.
Lorimer sounds like the informative publishing prof that he is, not just an accountant, as he sketches the size, foibles and follies of the Canadian publishing industry. Few, however, share Lorimer’s knowledge that Connor’s pioneering novel The Man from Glengarry sold millions of copies (though only with the push of foreign publishers). Who knew that the 1967 motto of Coach House Books was “Printed in Canada by mindless acid freaks?” Many who have suffered through early CanLit courses know the work of Ralph Connor (whom Mordecai Richler accurately summed up as “a good speller”). He accurately charts the rise and fall of domestically produced CanLit, attributing much of it to the demographic wave of Baby Boomers. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below.
0 kommentar(er)
