Our new Spring list has grown to six titles for the first time in four years! To me this feels like a milestone, after working for so many years to build up our publishing program. Our editorial team is extraordinary; our design and production are top notch; and our marketing and publicity are incredibly effective for a small press. Pajama Press has much to celebrate in our fourth year in business—and it is all about our authors, our illustrators, and the books.
Last Fall Pajama Press was just bustling with activity. With far too many events to mention in this brief letter, I will highlight some of the bright spots. On November 6th, at the TD Canadian Children’s Literature Awards, Karen Bass won the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Graffiti Knight. We were so proud and happy for Karen, who won this prestigious award at the children’s publishing event of the year.
Bear on the Homefront was launched at the McMichael Canadian Art Collection on November 9th, just in time for Remembrance Day. Stephanie Innes, Harry Endrulat, and Brian Deines did a great presentation and signed books for an eager crowd. At the inaugural INSPIRE! Toronto International Book Fair, many of our authors participated the whole weekend long. In attendance were: Sylvia McNicoll, Marsha Skrypuch, Karen Bass, Margriet Ruurs, Rob Laidlaw, Stephanie McLellan, and Deborah Ellis. Everyone had a great time schmoozing with their colleagues and visiting with the public.
Margriet Ruurs and Katherine Gibson promoted A Brush Full of Colour right across the country, including a major family event with the Toronto Public Library, the Victoria Children’s Literature Round Table, INSPIRE!, and many bookstore events and signings.
And, happily, my new granddaughter Alice (above) loved the Pajama Press books she received for Christmas!