Publisher Profile: Annick Press
The CBC asks Rick Wilks, Co-Publisher, questions about the publisher.
2025 marks the 50th anniversary of our publishing company!
How did your publishing house start out?
From the start, the cornerstone of our philosophy has been to provide a voice to youth, to encourage them to be active members of society, able to contribute with confidence. We believe that a love of literature, engaging with stories that resonate, will nurture such feelings. We started out publishing stories written by kids, which proved to be remarkably successful. We established Annick Press in the late 1970s with a mandate to support, engage, and entertain with quality literature in all genres for children and youth.
What is your publishing house most known for?
Books that address the lives of contemporary kids – all kids, so those from minority communities receive special emphasis in our program. We want our readers to see themselves reflected in our publications.
We encourage critical thinking and the development of a child’s inner resources. We are passionate about ensuring that our books are self-affirming, informative, and fun.
Some of our best-known titles include The Paper Bag Princess, and a long list of other Robert Munsch stories; we also published Bog Myrtle by Sid Sharp, Walking Together by Elder Dr. Albert D. Marshall & Louise Zimanyi and Salma The Syrian Chef by Danny Ramadan. We’ve enjoyed great success in the institutional market with Patient Zero: Solving the Mysteries of Deadly Epidemics by Marilee Peters.
In our 50 years as publishers, one of our most wonderful lessons has been…
The value of listening to our creators’ stories, both those they want to write and their own personal journeys. We count ourselves lucky to be hanging out every day with smart, thoughtful, and empathetic people. And best of all, when those stories are shared with our readership, they open doors to the imagination and shed light on a range of experiences that enrich and inform the reader’s life.
Where in the country is your house based? What do you love about being based there?
Annick Press is based in Toronto, Ontario; the world’s most multicultural city. As our mandate is to reflect diversity, this is a great place to connect with a wide range of creative people.
What conventions and conferences does your publishing house usually attend?
Every year, Annick Press attends ALA, NCTE, EBMA, Children’s Institute, Winter Institute, and other conventions/conferences from time to time including Texas Reading Association, American Association of School Libraries, and PLA.
How many employees does your house have?
22
How many books does your house aim to publish per season/year?
We aim to publish 25-30 books per year.
Which formats does your house prefer to publish?
We publish books across all genres and formats for young readers, from board books for the very young up to YA. Formats include hardcover, paperback, ebooks, and audiobooks. We also frequently publish paperback originals alongside library hardcovers to increase the accessibility of our books.
Which of your frontlist titles would be great for a school or public library?
We regularly receive enthusiastic feedback about our picture books that focus on building empathy, fostering inclusion, and highlighting SEL (social-emotional learning) connections. From our Fall 2024 list, those picture books include Fighting Words by Leonarda Carranza, illustrated by Erika Medina, Grampy’s Chair by Rebecca Thomas, illustrated by Coco Lynge, and Mandeep’s Cloudy Days by Kuljinder Kaur Brar, illustrated by Samrath Kaur.
Which of your frontlist titles would be great for a classroom? Which grade?
Muhammad’s Recipe for Remembering by Maidah Ahmad and illustrated by Shruti Prabhu–about a young boy who, after talking with members of his community, learns more about the contributions of Muslim soldiers during the world wars–offers teachers an excellent way to talk about Memorial Day and Veteran’s Day from a different perspective. It’s for ages 4-7.
Name a few of your favorite backlist titles that people should check out.
There are too many to name! Living with Viola, the debut middle-grade novel by Rosena Fung, is a powerful and imaginative exploration of anxiety and fitting in; Annick has also recently launched several early chapter book series that explore themes of social justice and inclusion for readers ages 6-9, including The Nguyen Kids by Linda Trinh and The Salma Series, by Danny Ramadan. And Dragging Mason County by Curtis Campbell is a hilarious YA debut that examines the realities of small-town queer life and celebrates the transformative power of drag.
What else would you like to tell us about your house and the amazing work you all do?
In 2021, as part of our ongoing desire to stay connected to the needs of our readership and our goals of building strong relationships with emerging writers, Annick introduced a mentorship program for new writers from groups that have been historically excluded from kids’ publishing. We have received hundreds of submissions over the course of several rounds of applications, from which a committee of Annick staff members selects writers to participate in a months-long mentorship, working one-on-one with an editor. Through this program, we hope to improve and expand on the ways in which we develop ideas with new creators and help them refine their work; to clearly define a process and a space for providing that guidance; and to offer creators the opportunity to learn more about the industry.
Thank you, Annick Press!
