News & Events

News & Events Listing

Message from Books BC Board Chair Regarding U.S. Tariffs

March 6th, 2025

Dear Books BC Members,

As you are aware, the U.S. government is proceeding with implementing tariffs on some Canadian goods after the 30-day pause since the initial announcement by the Trump Administration. While the full impact on our industry remains uncertain, these tariffs, which took effect on March 4, 2025, will make it harder for BC books to reach American readers and could lead to significant cost increases for BC publishers, making it much harder for Canadian publishers to compete in the U.S. market. 

BC’s book industry is more than just an economic sector—it is a cornerstone of our culture, a driver of tourism, and a key exporter of Canadian stories. In 2023–24 alone, BC publishers exported over $9 million in finished books to the U.S., accounting for nearly a quarter of all Canadian book exports. For many of our members, the U.S. isn’t just another market—it’s essential to the success of their business. The ripple effects of U.S. tariffs on publishers, printers, distributors, booksellers, and authors could be serious, affecting creative output and the long-term sustainability of our sector.

Though the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA) through which these tariffs have been implemented expressly limits any information or informational materials, including publications from being subject to tariffs, it remains unclear whether this exemption will apply to all cross-border book shipments and how this exemption will be applied in practice.  

The events of this past week demonstrate that, even if tariffs are momentarily suspended or certain goods are made exempt, the overall chaos, unpredictability and constantly moving goal posts will lead to a broader economic fallout—rising production costs, supply chain disruptions, and border slowdowns—all of which will still impact our industry.

At Books BC, we are committed to standing with our members through the uncertainty of this challenging situation. These past three months, Books BC has continued to update provincial funders and government on the evolving situation, and to advocate for BC Publishers. Our Books BC Brief on the Impact of Tariffs on BC Publishers outlines the possible impacts, as well as both industry-led and government-funded responses that would support BC publishers through this evolving situation.

We encourage BC publishers to reach out and let us know what you are experiencing or hearing in relation to U.S. tariffs—whether it’s feedback from booksellers, conversations with U.S. partners, or concerns about supply chain disruptions. The more we share information in a timely manner, the stronger our collective response can be.

This moment is a reminder of something we already know: we must support Canadian-owned publishing. The vast majority of books found in Canadian bookstores, libraries, and schools are published by foreign-owned companies. Even when the authors, illustrators, and translators are Canadian, the profits and jobs often go elsewhere. Now, more than ever, we need to champion BC-published books in our own communities and take meaningful steps to strengthen our Canadian-owned book publishing industry.

We can do this by:

–Encouraging readers, libraries, and schools to buy and stock more Canadian-published books.

–Advocating for strong, stable support from both provincial and federal governments.

–Finding new and innovative ways to connect with Canadian readers so we are less vulnerable to disruptions in international trade.

Despite the challenges ahead, one thing is clear: BC publishers are resilient, creative, and determined. We’ve faced economic downturns, a global pandemic, and shifts in the market before—and we will find a way forward again.

At Books BC we will continue to seek out ways to support our members and to work together—through joint marketing efforts, shared resources, and new approaches to selling and distributing our books—to build a stronger, more resilient publishing sector.

Don Gorman

Publisher, Rocky Mountain Books

President, Association of Book Publishers of BC (Books BC)

BC Book Publisher New Star Books Announces its Winding Down of Operations

January 17th, 2025

 

 

 

Books BC is saddened by the recent announcement of publisher Rolf Maurer, posted on January 13th, regarding Maurer’s decision to wind down New Star Books. New Star will continue to promote and distribute titles in print through their distributor, the New Star website, and Amazon. However, it will no longer be acquiring new books for publication.

In response to New Star’s announcement Books BC Board Chair, Don Gorman, commented:

New Star’s contributions to fiction, non-fiction, poetry, and the Transmontanus series have left an enduring mark. Each book—beautiful, thoughtful, and important—reflects the vision and dedication of the press and its publisher. Their work has been nothing short of essential, and this loss is profoundly felt by all who value independent and thought-provoking publishing in Canada. It stands as a sobering reminder of the critical need for sustained support—by the industry, consumers, and government—for arts and culture.”

“Attending poetry readings at The People’s Co-Op Bookstore on Commercial Drive, voluntarily run by Rolf Maurer was how I, and many of us in Vancouver got intimately connected to the local literary scene. Though the bookstore will remain open, the winding down of the press is a painful reminder of how these spaces can never be taken for granted. For Books BC, this is a moment for reflection and deepening resolve to support our members in the face of myriad challenges.”

For his part, Maurer ends his announcement by stating:

“I’m grateful for the opportunity I’ve had to engage in meaningful work, and to work with writers in bringing their books to readers. I’m grateful to have lived and worked in an era when the value of the work we do, as publishers, writers, and others involved in publishing, was valued, and supported by citizens through the taxes they pay. I am proud of the role, however small, that New Star, over the last 55 years, has played in creating a dialogue in this country about how we live. There will be time to celebrate the press’s history and contributions; this is not the moment for that.”

 

Internship Opportunity: Books BC Community Engagement intern

December 3rd, 2024

Books BC invites applications to an upcoming internship opportunity.

Supported by the Canada Book Fund, the internship will run from January 13th to May 23rd of 2025. Over the course of 20 weeks, the Books BC Community Engagement intern will work on community engagement projects that develop awareness and appreciation of BC books for various audiences, and support our strategic goal of being a community “hub” for publishers, and book-related stakeholders. 

Please send your resume and a brief email outlining your interest in the position to careers@books.bc.ca by January 3rd, 2025. 

We particularly encourage applicants who identify as being from diverse communities, including those who identify as Black, Indigenous, and people of colour; people with disabilities; people identifying as LGBTQ2S+, and people facing economic barriers. 

*Please note this position is only open to Canadian citizens and those who have not previously benefited from a Canada Book Fund supported internship.

A full job description can be found here and on our careers page.

Books BC announces its 2024-25 Books for Schools program and online database for K-12 educators

October 16th, 2024

The Association of Book Publishers of British Columbia (Books BC) is excited to announce the 2024-25 edition of our Books for Schools database. Books for Schools helps BC and Canadian publishers to effectively reach the K-12 market while providing teachers, teacher-librarians, other educators, and booksellers in BC and Canada with a free community resource to find suitable and appropriate books for the K-12 audience.

Our BC Books for Schools and Indigenous Books for Schools collections have been long-standing initiatives of the Association since 2007. BC Books for Schools comprises BC-published titles, and Indigenous Books for Schools includes Canadian-published titles by Indigenous creators. Both collections are now available as a combined database on BooksForSchools.ca supported by enhanced search functionality and accessibility for users. The database is updated annually, with a total of 324 titles in the BC Books for Schools collection and 260 titles in the Indigenous Books for Schools collection so far.

“We are incredibly proud of the evolution of this book program, which began as print catalogues mailed to every school in BC and has now become a free searchable database. It’s the easiest way to find BC books for BC students, as recommended by BC teachers and with links to curriculum,” says Leslie Bootle, Executive Director of Books BC, of the BC Books for Schools program.

The titles are selected and evaluated by qualified K-12 educators from BC, and annotations include a descriptive review, grade level and curriculum matches, and theme mapping. The titles in the Indigenous Books for Schools collection undergo an additional evaluation for authentic Indigenous Voice, an evaluation process developed by the program’s lead education consultant Jackie Lever.

Books BC would like to thank our funders for their continued support of this program, in particular the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund, the Canada Council for the Arts, Creative BC, and the City of Vancouver.

Learn more about the database and our unique evaluation process and find hundreds of evaluated K-12 books at BooksForSchools.ca.

Books on Screen at VIFF 2024

October 10th, 2024

 

 

On October 3rd, 2024, Books BC partnered with the Canadian Media Producers Association (CMPA) and Creative BC to present the first Books on Screen event since 2018. This half-day event in partnership brought together BC screen-based content creators with BC publishers to pitch and discover intellectual property, build relationships and leverage existing material for optioning and development. The event took place during the Vancouver International Film Festival at their main venue and included a public-facing industry panel with members of the creative team from Murder In a Small Town (Global/FOX), a new drama series co-produced by local producers and based on BC writer L.R. Wright’s novel. Curated B2B meetings between producers and publishers took place in 25 minute sessions throughout the event. Thank you to all of the publishers and producers whose participation made this event a success!

Poetry in Transit 2024/25 launch at Word Vancouver

September 20th, 2024

In partnership with TransLink and BC Transit, Read Local BC presents the launch of this year’s Poetry In Transit campaign at Word Vancouver on September 28, 2024. Now celebrating its 28th year, this beloved community-engagement project displays the work of ten BC poets on public transit vehicles throughout the province. Join us to hear a selection of the featured 2024-25 poets read from their work, followed by a short discussion and Q&A in which you can engage with the poets over your love of the written verse! Hosted by Evelyn Lau.

Read the Poetry in Transit 2024/25 press release to learn more.

 

Poetry in Transit: On the Radio!

August 13th, 2024

Last week, Leslie Bootle, the executive director of Books BC, appeared on CBC Radio to chat about the Poetry in Transit program and this year’s program! Listen to the clip here.

Poetry in Transit 2024/25 Selections Announced!

August 7th, 2024

 

In partnership with TransLink and BC Transit, Books BC produces a collection of poetry car cards annually, which feature the work of BC-authored and Canadian-published poets. Now celebrating its 28th year, this project is an opportunity to share these wonderful poems with the larger community!

This year’s selected BC poets and featured poetry collections were announced earlier this week, over on Read Local BC! Find the complete list of poets here: poetryintransit.ca