 Message from the Executive DirectorHello BPAA members and colleagues, As I’m writing this message, the BPAA is in the midst of our annual audit. Many thanks to Candace Schiebelbein for keeping our records in meticulous condition, ensuring a smooth and routine audit process. Looking ahead, Jackie and Candace will be facilitating 12 jury meetings throughout the month of May for the Alberta Book Publishing Awards. And Justin is in the midst of confirming our session topics and presenters for the conference. We also have two PD sessions with Francine Cunningham from the Canada Council for the Arts scheduled later this month. Francine will discuss what funding opportunities are available through the CCA for core-grant and non-core grant recipients, as well as how to make your application stand out and resonate with peer assessment committees. Registration is open to BPAA members. More information and the registration form are available on our website. It’s shaping up to be a busy month, and it will likely fly by—just as the beginning of the year has. All the best, Megan Bishop Association NewsPlease note that the BPAA offices will be closed on Monday, May 18, 2026 for Victoria Day. We will reopen on Tuesday, May 19, 2026. Upcoming Webinar: Funding Opportunities with Canada Council for the ArtsThe BPAA is pleased to announce the rescheduled dates for the upcoming PD sessions, Funding Opportunities with Canada Council for the Arts, presented by Francine Cunningham, consultant with Canada Council. To address the unique needs of our members, we have two sessions scheduled and you are encouraged to register for the one you feel is most appropriate, based on your previous CCA funding.
If you plan on attending, please register by 4:30PM MT on Wednesday, May 13. In each session, Canada Council for the Arts Alberta Focus Initiative Artist Liaison Consultant Francine Cunningham will discuss what opportunities are available through CCA, as well as ways to make your application stand out, and more detail on peer assessment committees. Sessions will include time for Q&A. The CCA’s Alberta Focus Initiative is a two-year commitment that aims to strengthen engagement and collaboration with Alberta’s vibrant arts community. This event is free and limited to members of the BPAA. BPAA Members Spotlight
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. Industry NewsNow Hiring
Industry Events and AnnouncementsFree Webinar from LCB: Introduction to Thema ClassificationJoin Livres Canada Books (LCB) for a webinar providing a brief overview of the global book classification scheme, Thema. Presented by international standards expert, Chris Saynor of EDItEUR, the webinar will provide an overview of how Thema works and why it’s an important tool for Canadian publishers who want to make their titles and content more discoverable in a global market. The English-language webinar will be held on Thursday, May 14 at 11:00 a.m. MT. The French-language webinar will be held on Tuesday, May 19 at 11:00 a.m. MT. Each live session will be followed by an interactive Q&A period with the host. For more information and to register, visit the LCB website. Livres Canada Books: 2026 Rights Canada Catalogue Registration OpenIncrease your titles’ visibility with the Livres Canada Books’ 2026 Rights Canada catalogue! Take advantage of greater promotion of your books to the international community of rights representatives, publishers, and literary agents all year long. Titles registered in the Rights Canada catalogue benefit from greater visibility thanks to enhanced promotion on the Livres Canada Books website, social media, Canada Stand, and trade missions. Inclusion in the catalogue is free of charge and space will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis. The catalogue will include up to 340 titles, and the number of titles a publisher can include in the catalogue corresponds to the number of titles published over the course of the year. For more information and to register, visit the Livres Canada Books website. The deadline to register is Friday, May 22, 2026. Registration Open for WordsWorth Creative Writing CampWordsWorth is a one-week creative writing residency for students ages 11–19 who are interested in exploring and developing their voice through writing and the arts. The 5-night camp will take place in Red Deer, Alberta, at Red Deer Polytechnic. Week 1 (July 19 to 24): Ages 11-14 Week 2: (July 26 to 31): Ages 15- 19 Students participate in a wide range of writing-focused workshops led by experienced artist-instructors, including fiction, poetry, spoken word, music, drama, filmmaking, nonfiction, and more. The program is designed to support all skill levels and encourages creativity in a structured, screen-free environment. For more information and registration details, visit the Writers' Guild of Alberta website. Canada Council Core Funding Eligibility SurveyACP, Association nationale des éditeurs de livres (ANEL), Literary Press Group of Canada (LPG), and Regroupement des éditeurs franco-canadiens (REFC) are gathering information from book publishers regarding eligibility for Canada Council for the Arts core funding ahead of the next competition deadline in 2027. This survey is specifically for book publishers who are not currently receiving core funding from Canada Council. New Calgary Poet Laureate: Clara A.B. JosephClara A.B. Joseph was formally announced as the 2026–2028 Calgary Poet Laureate in Council Chambers at Calgary City Hall on April 28, 2026, to mark the end of National Poetry Month. Clara A. B. Joseph is a poet and Professor of English at the University of Calgary. Her poetry collections include The Face of the Other, Dandelions for Bhabha, and M/OTHER, which received first place from the Catholic Media Association (US and Canada). Stand Up for Alberta’s Public LibrariesThe Coalition of Alberta Public Libraries (CAP Libraries) is raising serious concerns about Alberta’s proposed Bill 28, citing issues related to privacy, local decision-making, intellectual freedom, and the future of public library services across the province. The proposed legislation would impact 324 public library service points serving 99% of Albertans. CAP Libraries has sent a letter to Premier Danielle Smith and Municipal Affairs Minister Dan Williams outlining concerns with the breadth and practicality of the bill and requesting a meeting. CAP Libraries is encouraging supporters to take action by:
Learn more about Bill 28, read CAP Libraries’ statement, and find ways to support Alberta’s public libraries at the CAP Libraries website. Upcoming EventsMay 7–8, 2026: 2026 ABC Copyright Conference May 14, 2026: Durvile & UpRoute Book Launch Event: The Headache Files: True Tales and Real Relief May 14, 2026: Double Book Launch: We Survived Until We Could Live (University of Calgary Press) and Wound Archive (Calgary) May 14, 2026: Livres Canada Books Free Webinar: Introduction to Thema Classification May 21, 2026: Renegade Arts Entertainment Book Launch: Grande Prairie with an E (Edmonton) May 26, 2026: University of Calgary Press Book Launch: Beneficiary (Calgary) May 28, 2026: Poetry Showcase at Audreys Books May 28, 2026: Tech Forum Webinar: Thriving together: How independent publishers and booksellers are a perfect match 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 September 1–30, 2026: Alberta Culture Days October 7–11, 2026: Frankfurt Book Fair The BPAA, Edmonton Arts Council, and Calgary Arts Development all maintain calendars of upcoming arts and culture events. To submit events please email eacweekly@edmontonarts.ca, or use the submission forms for Calgary Arts Development and the BPAA. Awards, Grants, and Submission DeadlinesMay 6, 2026: Project Grant Program – Organizations (Calgary Arts Development) May 13, 2026: Nancy Flight Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction Editing June 1, 2026: Invent & Adapt Grant (Edmonton Arts Council) June 1, 2026: Book Publishers Operating Grant (Alberta Media Fund) June 24, 2026: Atwood Gibson Writers’ Trust Fiction Prize (for books published between April 15, 2026 and September 30, 2026) June 24, 2026: Balsillie Prize for Public Policy (for books published between April 15, 2026 and September 30, 2026) June 24, 2026: Hilary Weston Writers’ Trust Prize for Nonfiction (for books published between April 15, 2026 and September 30, 2026) June 24, 2026: Dayne Ogilvie Prize for LGBTQ2S+ Emerging Writers (for books published between April 15, 2026 and September 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 October 7, 2026: Professional Arts Organizations Operating Grant Program (Calgary Arts Development) Ongoing: Alberta Export Expansion Program (Government of Alberta) Edmonton's Bestselling BooksFICTION 1. The Arrival - Shaun Tan (Arthur A Levine Books) 2. The Five People You Meet in Heaven - Mitch Albom (Grand Central Publishing) 3. Indian Horse - Richard Wagamese (Douglas and McIntyre) 4. The Correspondent - Virginia Evans (Crown) 5. Sarah Ponakey, Storycatcher and Âhâsiw’s Forest Powwow - Sita MacMilla, illus. Azby Whitecalf (Annick Press) 6. Earthen - Katherine Koller (Enfield & Wizenty) * 7. Weird Rules to Follow - Kim Spencer (Orca Book Publishers) 8. Project Hail Mary - Andy Weir (Ballantine Books) 9. Dear Monica Lewinsky - Julia Langbein (Doubleday) 10. Platform Decay - Martha Wells (Tor Books) NON-FICTION 1. Cruising the Downtown - The Edmonton Queer History Project (NeWest Press) * + 2. kiskisomitok ᑭᐢᑭᓱᒥᑐᐠ - reuben quinn (Talonbooks) * 3. A Field Guide to the Birds of Alberta - David R. Scott (Heritage House) * 4. The Book of Birds - Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris (House of Anansi) 5. Tell Others - Kim Echlin (Hamish Hamilton) 6. Dogs, Boys, and Other Things I've Cried About - Isabel Klee (HarperCollins) 7. No! - Sara Ahmed (The Feminist Press) 8. The Serviceberry - Robin Wall Kimmerer, illus. John Burgoyne (Scribner) 9. Edmonton - Society of Western Canadian Artists (self-published) 10. Encampment - Maggie Helwig (Coach House Press) POETRY 1. Penguins Fly - Teren Hazzard (Wild Skies Press) * + 2. Sublunary - Lisa Richter (University of Alberta Press) + 3. Horses - Jake Skeets (McClelland & Stewart) 4. Perennial Counterpart - Yongyu Chen (Nightboat Books) 5. This Sweet Rupture - Omar Ramadan (University of Alberta Press) * + 6. Intifadas - Edward Salem (Sarabande Books) 7. Stock - Jennifer Bowering Delisle (Coach House Books) * 8. Biography of a Soul - Randy Kohan (self-published) * 9. The Idea of An Entire Life - Billy-Ray Belcourt (McClelland & Stewart) * 10. We Survived Until We Could Live - Uchechukwu Peter Umezurike (University of Calgary Press) * + * Alberta Author + Alberta Publisher Edmonton Bestseller List Week Ending 2026-05-03 Thank you to Audreys Books, Magpie Books, and Paper Birch Books for providing sales data, and to the Taproot Edmonton Arts Roundup who distributes the list each week. Calgary's Bestselling BooksFICTION
NON-FICTION
* Alberta Author + Alberta Publisher
Reading ListNew Report Weighs Pros and Cons of AI (Publishers Weekly) Does your child only read graphic novels? That’s OK – it’s helping them build literacy skills (The Conversation) Meet the Literary Agent Who Invented the Book Auction (Literary Hub) TikTok releases first monthly BookTok bestseller list (The Bookseller) Quote of the BiWeek“Today a reader, tomorrow a leader.” — Margaret Fuller Copyright © 2026 Book Publishers Association of Alberta, All rights reserved. The Book Publishers Association of Alberta is grateful for the support of our funders: |
