Book Publishers Association of Alberta
10523 – 100 Avenue
Edmonton, AB T5J 0A8
780-424-5060
E-mail: info@bookpublishers.ab.ca
Website: www.bookpublishers.ab.ca
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The Book Publishers Association of Alberta (BPAA) was founded in 1975 to support the development of a thriving provincial publishing industry, away from Canada’s traditional book publishing centres. Today one of the strongest communities of regional publishers in North America, the BPAA has 23 member publishers that are owned and operated in Alberta. Our members publish books by local, national and international authors and provide significant cultural and economic benefits to this province. They work with writers, printers, artists and other creative people to produce high quality books that are sold in Alberta and throughout the world.
For a full list of our programs please visit our website. (link to “>https://bookpublishers.ab.ca/programs/)
The BPAA responds to all questions from its members, the public, media and industry, on matters to do with publishing.
Major Programs
Alberta Book Publishing Awards
Each spring, the book publishing community in Alberta comes together to honour excellence in Alberta-published books. Our hope is that this recognition will make readers more aware of the high quality and range of book publishing in the province, and that this awareness will be a source of shared pride. The gala is held in May annually, alternating between Calgary and Edmonton.
Awards are presented in twelve categories: Book of the Year (Children’s, Educational, Scholarly, Trade Fiction, Trade Non-Fiction); Book Design (Book Cover, Book Illustration, Book Design); Publisher of the Year, Emerging Publisher of the Year, Lois Hole Award for Editorial Excellence, and the Alberta Book Publishing Achievement Award.
Professional Development
The BPAA is committed to providing up-to-date professional development opportunities to members and non-members alike. The highlight of the BPAA’s Professional Development program is a two-day session held in Banff each fall in conjunction with the Annual General Meeting. Also featured are the One-Hour Lunches, which provide members an opportunity to discuss a particular topic, accompanied by a brief presentation, over lunch; and periodic sessions when the opportunity arises.
Best of the West
Best of the West is an annual guide to Prairie books released each fall. It provides Canadian publishers an effective and inexpensive vehicle to advertise books Prairie books to a targeted audience of dedicated book buyers. We distribute 200,000 copies through bookstores and libraries across Canada, as an insert in five different publications, at trade shows and displays, and as an electronic publication through the BPAA website.