Hello, BPAA members and colleagues, 

Members of the BPAA board and I met with Minister Fir earlier this month to discuss our budget submission and stress the importance of increased investment in supporting the long-term growth and health of the book publishing industry. We continue to hope for good news in the upcoming Alberta budget, which will be released tomorrow.  

Jackie will be attending the Greater Edmonton Teachers’ Convention later this week to promote Alberta Books for Schools to the 10,000 teachers in attendance. A big thank you to Audreys for inviting us to join them at their remarkable booth. 

A final reminder that submissions for the Alberta Book Publishing Awards close on Friday. Submission details can be found here. 

Finally, happy Freedom to Read week, an annual event that encourages Canadians to think about and reaffirm their commitment to intellectual freedom. If you are looking for book recommendations or want to attend an event, the Edmonton Public Library and the Calgary Public Library have resources available. 

All the best, 

Megan Bishop
Executive Director

The Book Publishers Association of Alberta (BPAA) is accepting submissions for the 2026 Alberta Book Publishing Awards. The BPAA welcomes submissions from all Alberta-owned and -controlled publishers. Nominated books must have been published between January 1, 2025 and December 31, 2025.

The submission deadline is this Friday, February 27, 2026. For more information on the submission process and eligibility, please visit the Alberta Book Publishing Awards webpage. 

The winners of the 2026 Alberta Book Publishing Awards will be celebrated at a gala scheduled for Thursday, September 17, 2026, in Edmonton at the Matrix Hotel. 

Download a PDF copy of the media release

• Freehand Books' novel Northern Bull by Michelle Swallow was featured on CBC Radio's The Trailbreaker and highlighted as one of 49th Shelf's books for Valentine's Day.
• Freehand Books is excited to celebrate The Time of the Great Singing by Elizabeth Philips, her latest collection of poetry, with a launch at McNally Robinson on Thursday, March 12, that will be livestreamed on YouTube. Find more information on the McNally Robinson website.  

Please share your award announcements, interviews, and other big news with us so that we can feature it in future newsletters!

Please note: The Book Publishers Association of Alberta staff are working from home on Mondays and Fridays, with in-person office hours Tuesday–Thursday.

• Orca Book Publishers is hiring a Sales Associate. The deadline to apply is Wednesday, February 25, 2026.
• Second Story Press is hiring a Marketing Coordinator. The deadline to apply is Friday, February 27, 2026.
• Touchwood Editions is hiring an Editorial Coordinator/Project Manager. The deadline to apply is Sunday, March 1, 2026.
• Hancock House Publishers is hiring an Associate Publisher.

Exhibitor registration is now open for the next WBRA book fair. The fair will take place at The Parkside Hotel in Victoria, on June 1–3, 2026. 

Please note the following reminders for this fair:

• No breakfast or Monday cocktail hour.
• Cancellation policy: If you cancel more than 30 days before the start of the fair (May 2, 2026), you can credit the registration cost to contribute towards future fairs. If you cancel within 30 days, you will not be granted a credit. 

Register by filling out this form by Monday, March 21, 2026.

The Edmonton Arts Council Society (EAC) is a not-for-profit charitable organization that supports and promotes the arts community in Edmonton, guided by Connections & Exchanges: A 10-Year Plan To Transform Arts and Heritage In Edmonton. A Board of Directors governs the affairs of the Society, while the Chief Executive Officer manages the day-to-day operations and delivery of the work.

The EAC is seeking nominations of new Directors for terms to begin in June 2026.

Directors are elected by the membership to a three-year term, for up to two consecutive terms. The EAC is seeking at least two, and up to four new Directors this year.

The Board is committed to governing the organization at a strategic and policy level. Potential Directors must be prepared to commit their volunteer time and engagement to advance that work. The Board expects to meet seven times a year, currently on Monday evenings (schedule subject to change). Committees are active monthly, and there are several special events and planning meetings anticipated.

The deadline for nominations is Friday, March 27, 2026.

Learn more at the EAC website.

The 2026-2027 Canada Book Fund (CBF) Support for Publishers: Publishing Support Application Guidelines are now posted. Important program changes were made following the Budget 2024 investment in the CBF ($10 million over 3 years starting in 2024-2025). Below are the main Publishing Support changes that were introduced in 2025-2026 and continue through 2026-2027.

• To increase access to the Publishing Support sub-component for Indigenous and equity-deserving publishers and to encourage the production of accessible digital books, the CBF:
• Reduced the minimum eligible net sales of own titles threshold for Indigenous and official-language minority publishers as well as publishing companies owned and controlled by members of a racialized community from $30,000 to $20,000.
• Reduced the minimum number of new publications threshold for official-language minority publishers, and publishing companies owned and controlled by members of a racialized community (regardless of market segment).*
• Maintained a coefficient of 4 for accessible digital books, while the coefficient for non-accessible digital books has been reduced from 4 to 3, the standard coefficient for most print books.
  • To receive a sales coefficient of 4 for accessible digital books, new applicants and newly certified accessible digital publishers (since April 1, 2025) must submit an accessible digital publisher attestation form. Please contact the program to obtain a copy of the template. Recurrent applicants who submitted an accessible digital publisher attestation for the 2025–2026 program fiscal year do not need to provide additional documentation.

*This lower threshold was already in place for Indigenous publishers.

• To further support export and reduce administrative requirements, the Publishing Support sub-component of the CBF:
• Increased the maximum amount of the export supplement from $55,000 to $70,000.
• Can now provide an exemption to returning applicants who do not meet the minimum sales threshold eligibility criterion once in any five-year program cycle. This exemption cannot be granted to first-time applicants.
• Reduced the administrative requirements related to financial statements, by aligning the level of assurance required with the level with sales of eligible Canadian-authored books. Applicants with less than $150,000 in Canadian-authored sales during their reference year can now submit a Notice to Reader. Applicants providing Notice to Reader financial statements can submit an internally prepared Royalty Certification and Export Sales Certification (if applicable).

In 2026-2027, the program removed the editorial independence requirements for affiliated group members to better correspond with operational realities and reduce administrative burden.

Publishing new program guidelines can also result in changes to previous program definitions and language. It is encouraged to review the guidelines in detail before applying.

How to apply

You can access the online application by clicking on the "Apply" button at the bottom of the Publishing Support webpage.

Deadline date

The next deadline for applications to the Publishing Support component is Wednesday, April 1, 2026 at 2:00 pm MT. Applications received after this date will not be considered. This deadline is for projects starting between April 1, 2026, and March 31, 2027. A checklist is included in the online application.

Please refer to the following documents for more information: 

• Canadian Heritage Funding Portal Account Instructions
• Production Report template
• Application Documents annex - provides detailed information of all required application documents
• The naming convention document to be used for naming your electronic files 

If you have any further questions or would like more information, email the Canada Book Fund.

Livres Canada Books (LCB) has launched registration for spaces on the Canada Stand at the 2026 Frankfurt Book Fair, happening October 7–11, 2026. The Guest of Honour at this year's event is Czechia.

Every October, Frankfurt becomes the premiere meeting place for the entire publishing industry. The Frankfurt Book Fair is the world’s largest marketplace for trading in publishing rights and licenses, hosting publishers, agents, distributors, wholesalers, booksellers, and librarians from around the globe.

The Canada Stand will be exhibiting in Hall 6.2. LCB is in regular discussion with the Book Fair to secure the best possible location for the Canada Stand, providing maximum visibility for participating publishers and their titles.  

The deadline to register for a spot on the Canada Stand is Friday, April 10, 2026. Space on the Canada Stand is limited and is allocated on a first-come, first-served basis.

For more information and to register, visit the LCB website.

Nova Scotia’s Department of Communities, Culture, Tourism and Heritage is eliminating a $700,000 fund that helps local publishers publish new books by local authors.

Nova Scotia publishers release more than 100 new books, most by local authors, every year.

Nova Scotia’s Publisher Assistance Program parallels similar funding available to locally owned publishers in all nine other provinces. Nova Scotia’s program was already less generous than in most other provinces.  

“This budget cut will make Nova Scotia the only province to cancel support for publishing books that is the backbone of our entire industry,” says Nimbus manager Terrilee Bulger. 

Read the full media release here.

February 26, 2026: BPC Webinar: Book Censorship in Alberta

February 26, 2026: Tech Forum Webinar: The ripple effect of romance: How to leverage trending subjects
March 10–12, 2026: The London Book Fair

March 24, 2026: Tech Forum Webinar: Trendspotting: Book subjects on the move in the Canadian market

March 25, 2026: Canada Council for the Arts Annual Public Meeting
March 26–29, 2026: 2026 Brussels Book Fair

March 31, 2026: Durvile & UpRoute Book Launch Event: Music of the Earth’s Heartbeat: Blackfoot Legacy Vol. 2 
April 13–16, 2026: The 2026 Bologna Children’s Book Fair
April 25, 2026: Canadian Independent Bookstore Day

April 28, 2026: University of Alberta Press Literary Editions (save the date)

May 14, 2026: Durvile & UpRoute Book Launch Event: The Headache Files: True Tales and Real Relief 
May 14–16, 2026: IBPA Publishing University

June 1–3, 2026: WBRA June Book Fair

June 4–5, 2026: Paris Book Market

June 11, 2026: Durvile & UpRoute Book Launch Event: See-Me Street: My Indigenous Homeless Journey 

June 22–26, 2026: 2026 Seoul International Book Fair
August 6–9, 2026: 40th IBBY World Congress

September 1–30, 2026: Alberta Culture Days
September 16–17, 2026: 2026 BPAA Annual Conference and AGM
September 17, 2026: 2026 Alberta Book Publishing Awards

October 7–11, 2026: Frankfurt Book Fair

February 27, 2026: 2026 Alberta Book Publishing Awards
February 27, 2026: Cundill History Prize
March 2, 2026: Grants for Individuals & Collectives (Edmonton Arts Council)

March 15, 2026: Alberta Culture Days Grant

March 18, 2026: Nancy Flight Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction Editing
April 1, 2026: Access Copyright Foundation PD Grants

April 1, 2026: Canadian Book Fund Support for Publishers

April 10, 2026: Registration for the Canada Stand at the Frankfurt Book Fair
April 17, 2026: Giller Prize (Books published between March 1, 2026, and April 30, 2026)
May 1, 2026: Governor General’s Literary Awards (For books published between July 1, 2025 to April 30, 2026)

May 4, 2026: Nominations for the Summer CIBA The Booksellers’ List Closes

May 6, 2026: Project Grant Program – Organizations (Calgary Arts Development)

May 13, 2026: Nancy Flight Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction Editing
June 1, 2026: Project grants for Organizations (Edmonton Arts Council)
June 19, 2026: Giller Prize (Books published between May 1, 2026, and June 30, 2026)

July 6, 2026: Nominations for the Fall CIBA The Booksellers’ List Closes

July 8, 2026: Nancy Flight Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction Editing
August 14, 2026: Giller Prize (Books published between July 1, 2026, and September 30, 2026)
September 1, 2026: Grants for Individuals & Collectives (Edmonton Arts Council)

October 7, 2026: Professional Arts Organizations Operating Grant Program (Calgary Arts Development)
November 1, 2026: Access Copyright Foundation Events Grants
Ongoing: Alberta Export Expansion Program (Government of Alberta)
Ongoing: Canada Digital Adoption Program
Ongoing: Representation and Promotion (Canada Council for the Arts)
Ongoing: Sector Support, Innovation and Development (Canada Council for the Arts)
Ongoing: Student Work Placement Program (Cultural Human Resources Council)
Ongoing: Micro-grants (Canada Council for the Arts)

1. Bad Cree - Jessica Johns (HarperCollins) *

2. Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir (Ballantine Books)

3. Heated Rivalry - Rachel Reid (Carina Press)

4. Game Changer - Rachel Reid (Carina Press)

5. A Good Hide - Karina Iceberg, Illus. Natasha Donovan (Heartdrum) 

6. Waiting for the Long Night Moon - Amanda Peters (Harper Perennial)

7. Dungeon Crawler Carl - Matt Dinniman (Ace)

8. On the Calculation of Volume (Book I) - Solvej Balle, trans. Barbara J. Haveland (New Directions)

9. The Astral Library - Kate Quinn (William Morrow) 

10. Vigil - George Saunders (Random House)

1. kiskisomitok ᑭᐢᑭᓱᒥᑐᐠ - reuben quinn (Talonbooks) *

2. The Ruthless Elimination of Hurry - John Mark Comer (WaterBrook) 

3. Half-Bads in White Regalia - Cody Caetano (Hamish Hamilton)

4. A Hymn to Life - Gisèle Pelicot, Natasha Lehrer, and Ruth Diver (Knopf Canada)

5. A Truce That Is Not Peace - Miriam Toews (Knopf Canada)

6. A Steady Brightness of Being - ed. Sara Sinclair and Stephanie Sinclair (Penguin Canada)

7. Cruising the Downtown - The Edmonton Queer History Project (NeWest Press) * +

8. John Candy - Paul Myers (House of Anansi)

9. Understory - Kevin Van Tighem (RMB | Rocky Mountain Books) *

10. The Certainty Illusion - Timothy Caulfield (Penguin Canada) *

1. Biography of a Soul - Randy Kohan (self-published) *

2. Crohnic - Jason Purcell (Arsenal Pulp Press) *

3. The Big Melt - Emily Riddle (Nightwood Editions) *

4. Milk and Honey - Rupi Kaur (Andrews McMeel Publishing)

5. This Is How We Disappear - Titilope Sonuga (Write Bloody North) *

6. No Coward Soul Is Mine - Emily Bronte (Penguin Classic)

7. The Idea of An Entire Life - Billy-Ray Belcourt (McClelland & Stewart) *

8. Love Poems - Rupi Kaur (Andrews McMeel Publishing)

9. Little Wild - Curtis LeBlanc (Nightwood Editions) *

10. North End Love Songs - Katherena Vermette (J. Gordon Shillingford Publishing)

1. The Correspondent - Virginia Evans (Crown)

2. Once Upon a River - Diane Setterfield (Anchor Canada)

3. Finding Flora - Elinor Florence (Simon & Schuster)

4. Hockey in the Wild - Nicholas Oldland (Kids Can Press)

5. I Who Have Never Known Men - Jacqueline Harpman, trans. Ros Schwartz (Transit Books)

6. The Golem and the Jinni - Helene Wecker (Harper Perennial)

7. How to Age Disgracefully - Clare Pooley (Viking)

8. The Hummingbird - Sandro Veronesi, trans. Elena Pala (HarperVia)

9. The Little Grizzly Who Walked Like a Boss - Victoria Tudor, illus. Natalia Logvanova (self-published)

10. Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir (Ballantine Books)

1. Lawless - Martha Paynter (Fernwood Publishing)

2. Mentorship in the Wild - Court Rustemeyer (self-published) *

3. A Book of Lives - Margaret Atwood (McClelland & Stewart)

4. A Hymn to Life - Gisèle Pelicot, Natasha Lehrer, and Ruth Diver (Knopf Canada)

5. The Ordnance Survey Puzzle Book - Ordnance Survey (Seven Dials)

6. Abortion to Abolition - Martha Paynter, illus. Julia Hutt (Fernwood Publishing)

7. Cookies I Have Loved - Julie Van Rosendaal (self-published) *

8. Eau Claire Nowhere - Stephen Chan (self-published) *

9. Everything Is Tuberculosis - John Green (Crash Course Books)

10. A Load of Old Balls - Anna Ptaszynski and James Harkin (Faber & Faber Non Fiction)

* Alberta Author  + Alberta Publisher
Calgary Bestseller List Week Ending 2026-02-19

Thank you to Shelf Life Books and Owl's Nest Books for providing sales data.

Storytel. Spotify. Now Audible. Audio, Text, and the Physical Book Slowly Converge (The New Publishing Standard)

UK Launches National Year of Reading (Book Riot)

Making a Literary Future with Artificial Intelligence (LA Review of Books) 

Canadian publishers dominate nominations for Bologna Prize for the Best Children’s Publishers of the Year (Quill & Quire)

“We write for the same reason that we walk, talk, climb mountains or swim the oceans – because we can. We have some impulse within us that makes us want to explain ourselves to other human beings.” 

— Maya Angelou

Copyright © 2025 Book Publishers Association of Alberta, All rights reserved.

The Book Publishers Association of Alberta is grateful for the support of our funders:
City of Edmonton | Edmonton Arts Council | City of Calgary | Calgary Arts Development | Canada Council for the Arts | Department of Canadian Heritage | Government of Alberta | Arts, Culture, and Status of Women | Access Copyright Foundation