Toronto, ON (May 21, 2015) — Yesterday evening, the Ontario Book Publishers Organization honoured Kirk Howard, founder and president of Dundurn Press, with the Janice E. Handford Award. Howard was given the award — which recognizes "an individual who has advanced the cause of small and literary Canadian publishing” — at a reception in downtown Toronto.

 “This is a meaningful award for me,” said Howard. “After more than four decades navigating this ever-evolving and always uncertain field, I can think of no greater achievement than to be recognized by one’s peers.” 

Frustrated by the dearth of books on Canadian topics, Howard, who had hitherto worked as a college instructor, established Dundurn in 1972 as a small press chiefly devoted to works on Canadian history. Over the course of the decades to follow, Dundurn expanded significantly under Howard’s leadership, acquiring several other publishing houses and becoming what is today the largest Canadian-owned trade book publishing company in Canada.

Past recipients of the award, which was established in 1997 to honour the late Janice Handford, former Executive Director of the Ontario Book Publishers Organization, include Jack David, Roy Macskimming, Angela Rebeiro, Judy Mappin, Simon Dardick, Tim Inkster, David Caron, Karl Siegler, Stan Bevington, and Jim Polk. 

Contact:

Holly Kent
Executive Director
Ontario Book Publishers Organization
holly [at] obpo [nospam] ca
416-838-8226

The Ontario Book Publishers Organization (OBPO) is a trade association of 37 Ontario-based, Canadian-owned book publishers. The OBPO represents the needs, interests, concerns and issues of Ontario book publishers.