About Ronsdale Press
About Ronsdale Press
Vision
To publish books of exceptional literary and artistic quality, which are beautifully produced. Ronsdale’s publishing program embraces progressive ideas, diverse voices and stories that educate and inspire readers.
Mission
Ronsdale Press is a Vancouver-based publisher of quality literary fiction, non-fiction, young reader chapter books and poetry by Canadian authors.
Our publishing mission is guided and fulfilled by our core values:
• The inherent worth and dignity of every person;
• The importance of the arts in our lives;
• Reflecting the diversity of our community in our authors, staff and freelance/contract workers;
• Harnessing the transformative power of the literary arts to address diversity, equity, progressive ideas and social justice.
These values are reflected in our commitments to:
• Publish and invest in books that reflect and support the diversity of our community.
• Publish and support authors who represent a variety of perspectives, voices and progressive viewpoints, especially from equity-deserving groups;
• Offer outreach activities that connect our authors with readers and our communities.
• Work with others respectfully and in ways that reflect and fulfill our core values, which includes robustly enforcing our anti-harassment, anti-bullying and equity policies;
• Maintain fair, inclusive and equitable policies in our contracts, hiring and other professional activities;
• Incorporate accessibility features in all alternate format books;
• Responsible use of the earth’s resources.
History
In 1987, Cacanadadada Press was founded in Burnaby, BC by Margaret Fridel (owner) and Michael J. Yates (editorial director) and they published In the House of Winter by Anne Mckay that year.
In 1988, they sold Cacanadadada to UBC English professor Ronald Hatch and his wife Veronica. As the new owners, Ronald and Veronica aimed to publish books that would give Canadians new insights into themselves and their country. When asked why he bought the press, Ron simply said, “I felt I could add something.”
Ron and Veronica published approximately 20 literary titles under the Cacanadadada imprint including books by Robin Skelton, John Robert Colombo, J. Michael Yates and Jancis M. Andrews’ highly praised first collection of fiction, Rapunzel, Rapunzel, Let Down Your Hair.
In 1995 they changed the name to Ronsdale Press (a combination of Ron’s first name and Veronica’s maiden name, Lonsdale).
Ronsdale Press has published over 300 books, most of which are still in print, and currently publishes poetry, fiction, regional history, biography and children’s books.
Award-winning Ronsdale authors include Pamela Porter (runner-up for the CBC Poetry Prize); Luanne Armstrong (shortlisted for 2014 Chocolate Lily Award); Patrick Bowman (nominated for the Red Maple); Geoff Mynett (George Ryga Award for Social Awareness & Jeanne Clark Publication Award); and Daniel Marshall (CHA Clio Prize & Basil Stuart-Stubbs Prize for Outstanding Academic Book in B.C.)
When considering Ronsdale’s defining moments, one immediately thinks of Clayoquot & Dissent, an exploration of Clayoquot Sound and an account of the 1993 protest against the decision to allow logging in two-thirds of Clayoquot Sound’s old growth forest. During the protest, Ron himself was arrested and sentenced to community service, probation and 20 days of electronic surveillance. “We were never allowed to say anything substantial or meaningful in the trial, so we did the book,” Ron said.
Ronsdale Press is also well known for new editions of the classic works of renowned author Jack Hodgins who found Ronsdale based on word of mouth.
Ronsdale has also published a series in support of the Vancouver Holocaust Education Centre. These titles included Bialystock to Birkenau: The Holocaust Journey of Michel Mielnicki, (2000); Ghost Children (2000); No Time to Mourn: The True Story of a Jewish Partisan Fighter (2004); A Long Labour: A Dutch Mother’s Holocaust Memoir (2007); and I Have My Mother’s Eyes: A Holocaust Memoir Across Generations (2009).
In November 2021, after a lengthy illness, publisher Ron Hatch passed away. But even up to the last, he was editing Ronsdale titles and guiding the press to its spring 2022 season.
After some uncertainty regarding the future of the press, it was acquired by Wendy Atkinson. Wendy brought her book industry experience of working at the Association of Book Publishers of BC (now Books BC), Arsenal Pulp Press and proofreading for BC BookWorld. She also brings substantial skills from her long-term work at the Chan Centre for the Performing Arts.
Supporters
Ronsdale Press wishes to thank the following for their support of its publishing program: the Canada Council for the Arts, the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund, the British Columbia Arts Council, Creative BC, and the Province of British Columbia through the Book Publishing Tax Credit Program.
