Category: COMING SOON

Echoes From Our Past aims to put Canadian history in young readers’ hands

Posted on by Mel

Updated call for submissions

Attention middle grade writers!

Great Plains Press’s Yellow Dog imprint seeks non-fiction, creative non-fiction, and historical fiction submissions for a new middle-grade series that features individuals who have contributed to the history of Canada. 

Your backdrop may be (for example) the Battle of Batoche in 1885, the formation of the Order of Sleeping Car Porters in 1817— the first Black labour union in North America—or the first major Alberta oil strike in 1947. It may be something we would prefer to turn away from, such as residential schools, Japanese internment placement, the KKK in Saskatchewan. Our shame, and how we emerge from it, is as much a part of what makes us who we are as our successes. 


Our interest for this series is in a significant individual; the one with the first whisper, a first step, a tentative finger raised to answer a need. Your hero may be known, but we are also fiercely interested in the stories of the under-recognized, forgotten, ignored, perhaps marginalized. 


How you tell their stories is up to you. It may be a straight-up biography, a creative recreation, or something else entirely.

This series will not follow a standard format but will celebrate and encourage the artistry and style of the writer. The common thread is truth—history, and (most important) your subject. Sing their stories to life in that energetic/mysterious/humorous way you do to capture the interest of middle grade readers. Aim for between 45 and 75 pages.  


We are eager to hear from both experienced and emerging writers. Your query letter should include: your subject and their contribution to a moment in Canadian Prairies history; how this historical moment has impacted our Prairie/Canadian identity; what draws you to this story, and why you are the best person to tell it. Include a word/page count and sample chapter. 


Submissions may be sent to info@greatplainspress.ca ATTN Anita Daher. All will be acknowledged. Authors should be prepared to submit a full manuscript on request.

CALL TO MIDDLE GRADE WRITERS!

Posted on by Mel

Echoes From Our Past aims to put Canadian history in young readers’ hands

Attention middle grade writers!

Great Plains Press’ Yellow Dog imprint seeks non-fiction book submissions for a new middle-grade series that features individuals who have contributed to the history of Canada’s prairie provinces. 

Your backdrop may be (for example) the Battle of Batoche in 1885, the formation of the Order of Sleeping Car Porters in 1817— the first Black labour union in North America—or the first major Alberta oil strike in 1947. It may be something we would prefer to turn away from, such as residential schools, Japanese internment placement, the KKK in Saskatchewan. Our shame, and how we emerge from it, is as much a part of what makes us who we are as our successes. 

Our interest for this series is in a significant individual; the one with the first whisper, a first step, a tentative finger raised to answer a need. Your hero may be known, but we are also fiercely interested in the stories of the under-recognized, forgotten, ignored, perhaps marginalized. 

How you tell their stories is up to you. It may be a straight-up biography, a creative recreation, or something else entirely. This series will not follow a standard format but will celebrate and encourage the artistry and style of the writer. The common thread is truth—history, and (most important) your subject. Sing their stories to life in that energetic/mysterious/humorous way you do to capture the interest of middle grade readers.  

We are eager to hear from both experienced and emerging writers. Your cover letter should include: your subject and their contribution to a moment in Canadian Prairies history; how this historical moment has impacted our Prairie/Canadian identity; what draws you to this story, and why you are the best person to tell it. Give us your plan—how the story will unfold. Include a sample chapter. 

Submissions may be sent to info@greatplainspress.ca ATTN Anita Daher. All will be acknowledged. Authors should be prepared to submit a full manuscript on request.

New Series Explores Why Our North American Cities Are Struggling 

Posted on by Mel

The City Project breaks down the many hands working to make Winnipeg a better place, and how all cities can improve their future.

January, 2025 – The City Project, edited by Michel and Emma Durand-Wood, explores the various puzzle pieces that make up a city. Tackling topics like transit, finance, housing, social justice, urban trees and beyond, each book will explore a key aspect of the city, its current state of affairs and how we can make changes so that, 50 years from now, Winnipeg is a stronger place. Great Plains Press launches The City Project as part of their Spring 2025 season. 

Winnipeg is the case study for The City Project. But, as anyone working to make their city a better place can tell you, all cities across North America have followed a similar pattern of development over the last 75 years. While Winnipeg is the focus of The City Project, the lessons learned will be universal.

“In Winnipeg, like most cities, we are guilty of spending a lot of time and energy complaining about what we don’t like. As we come to the end of our 150th anniversary year, we want to cast our eyes forward to the Winnipeg of 2074. What are all of the puzzle pieces that we need to shift to ensure the next generation of Winnipeggers inherit a more sustainable, healthy and happy city?” asks publisher Mel Marginet. “Emma and Michel do so much in their neighbourhood of Elmwood, and across the city, to change the conversation. They are curating a stellar list of writers to help all Winnipeggers to better understand this place, and how much potential we have to build a truly fantastic city.”

As series editors Michel and Emma Durand-Wood share

“A city is never finished: it’s an ongoing project. And it’s said that the most successful places are those built by many hands. Guided by these principles, our goal with this series is to inform and inspire you. But more importantly, whether you’re in Winnipeg or elsewhere, we want it to spur you to action. We all have a role to play in shaping the city we want, and we hope these books will help you find yours.”

Books in The City Project are approximately 100 pages, meant to be “read in one afternoon”. These books can be enjoyed by academics, but are meant to welcome all people into the conversation about building a better place, whether you live in Winnipeg or any city across North America. The writers share their expertise in plain language. Those whose curiosity is piqued will be invited to learn more as each writer will share their favourite books, podcasts and channels to learn more about each subject. 

The series kicks off with two titles for Spring 2025:

YOU’LL PAY FOR THIS

How we can afford a great city for everyone, forever

Michel Durand-Wood

Cities provide valuable quality of life amenities like parks, pools and libraries. They’re also responsible for providing critical life-sustaining services, things like sanitation, public safety and clean drinking water. Vitally, they need to be able to do it not only today, but for generations to come. So how do we know if our city can afford to do this forever? And if not, what needs to change? 

DECOLONIZING PUBLIC PLACES

Reclaiming meeting places through acts of resistance and resurgence

Sadie Lavoie

In Decolonizing Public Places, Sadie Lavoie explores the history of Indigenous resistance within Winnipeg since Idle No More in 2012, and how that protest played a pivotal role in the Indigenous cultural resurgence of reclaiming space within the city. Lavoie uses their experience to uncover how Indigenous people used places and spaces to revive their decolonial narratives from Indigenous ways of living, knowing and being. As public space in Winnipeg is reclaimed, Lavoie discovers how this newfound inclusion is shaping relationships within Indigenous communities, as well as how this movement connects Indigenous nations with their co-existing treaty partners.

Both titles in The City Project are available for pre-order now! 

Great Plains Press titles are distributed in the USA by IPG, and in Canada by PGC/Raincoast. 

Are you interested in booking Michel, Emma or Sadie for an interview? Please contact Great Plains Press to arrange:

Angeline Javier

Marketing Director

Great Plains Press

marketing@greatplanspress.ca | 204-475-6799

Pride is a protest – Matthew Fox

Posted on by Angeline

Pride Month is raging. Amidst all the celebration, there is the reminder we queers hear again and again: Pride is a protest. 

It’s a notion easily lost. We’ve come a long way in terms of rights and social acceptance. Especially in Canada, queer people are more visible than ever.  There’s a diversity of sexualities and ethnicities on display along roadsides to watch Dykes on Bikes roll through Pride parades. Linkedin is plagued by rainbow-treated corporate logos.

The gloss we lacquer onto queer life is dazzling, but should never distract from the stories of LGBTQ2S+ struggle that have a hard time emerging—in June, and every other minute of the year.

We can’t ignore the relentless and baseless oppression heaped on trans people, and the pain that follows. 

We must push back on those who would ban books that mention our existence, an act of erasure that robs queer people of all ages the experience of the chance to see their impulses and identities reflected back at them. 

Stories promise us something essential. You’re not alone. There are more people like you. Perceptions can widen. Vile opinions can change. You can understand a life that doesn’t mirror your own. 

I’m a Great Plains author, and proud to be associated with a publisher that values those stories and those promises. 

And I feel lucky, too, that Canadian publishing continues to open channels for queer people to communicate with each other and the world. 

Let’s be vigilant, though. Let’s protect those channels, support each other, amplify those voices—not just every June, but every day. 

Matthew Fox is the author of the queer-themed novel This Is It, coming out on October 15 from Enfield & Wizenty.

The Head is available now!

Posted on by Angeline

HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY TO THE HEAD!

Congratulations to Edmonton-based author Robyn Braun on the release of her novella, The Head!

A surreal and penetrating tale of academia, work life, and surviving trauma.

On the morning of her thirtieth birthday, Dr. Trish Russo, a math professor at Cascadia University, discovers a disembodied but living infant head on her dresser. Attached to nothing, somehow it still manages to wail and produce tears. Unsure what else to do, she takes it with her to work, if only to keep her neighbours from complaining about the head’s terrible cries.

At the university, her colleagues are mortified, not of the head itself, but that Trish has brought it into the office with her. She is soon put on leave and hopes that visiting her parents might provide some solace and advice on what she should do with the head. But no matter where she turns, Trish finds no help and is instead vilified for not knowing what to do with this impossible thing that has happened to her.

The Head is a bizarre journey through trauma, bad relationships, and toxic workplace culture.

Stay tuned for more info on launch events.

This Lark of Stolen Time now available!

Posted on by Angeline

HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY!

Congratulations to Edmonton-based author Richard Cumyn on the release of his latest novel, This Lark of Stolen Time!

In this novel about love and belonging, Cumyn gives us a portrait of a family coming together and falling apart. Playing with structure and voice, This Lark of Stolen Time stitches together the stories of its varied characters and explores the small and large ways in which our lives connect.

This Lark of Stolen Time is available now at your favorite independent bookstore or online on our website.

And don’t miss the Edmonton launch at Audrey’s Books on May 16. Stay tuned for more info!

Fall 2023 Titles Are On the Way

Posted on by Angeline

While we don’t want summer to end just yet, we wanted to give a reminder that our Fall titles are available for pre-order and will be out in the world before you know it! Our first of the fall season is the novel Children of Tomorrow by J.R. Burgmann which is being published on September 12, followed swiftly by the debut memoir from Carol Youngson, Take Your Baby and Run on October 10. For younger readers, Opposite Identicals by Deborah Kerbel drops on October 24. And last but certainly not least is the final entry in Gordon Goldsborough’s popular Manitoba history trilogy, On the Road to Abandoned Manitoba, publishing on November 21. All titles are available directly through us or at your favourite bookstore.

Hot Summer to Fall Launches

Posted on by marketing

Summer has been hot hot from coast to coast and we hope you have found time to curl up in the shade with a great book!

It’s never too early to jot fall book launches into your calendars and we hope you can join us for the following Winnipeg events at McNally Robinson on Grant:

October 11th – Parallel Prairies, edited by Darren Ridgley and Adam Petrash, will get you set to spook!

October 25th – More Abandoned Manitoba, Gordon Goldsborough’s much anticipated follow-up to the 2016 hit!

November 18th – Coop The Great launches his adventure! This middle grade book by Larry Verstraete will have you rooting for this down-and-out dachshund.

Yellow Dog Launches!

Posted on by marketing

We have dates scheduled for the launches of our Yellow Dog titles this spring!

April 12th – Anita Daher kicks things off with her novel, Forgetting How To Breathe.

April 29th – Get ready for espionage at the launch of Family of Spies by Jodi Carmichael.

May 11th – Colleen Nelson and Nancy Chappell-Pollack wrap the spring season with Pulse Point.

All of our Yellow Dog launches will take place in Winnipeg at McNally Robinson Booksellers in Grant Park. We hope to see you there!

 

Yellow Dog Launches!

Posted on by marketing

We are proud to announce the launch of Yellow Dog, our latest imprint named in honour of our favourite #dogAtWork, Scout. You can read all about the imprint in our latest e-news. Interested in submitting? Be sure to review our guidelines.

While we’re jazzed about the Spring list – announcement coming soon! – we are also busy bees working away on our Fall titles. Be sure to catch these upcoming launches at McNally Robinson Booksellers:

October 26 – Anne Mahon’s Redemption illuminates the harsh realities of gang life.

November 15 – Stuck In The Middle 2 kicks off. Bartley Kives and Bryan Scott’s Stuck In The Middle was a smash hit in 2013.

November 22 – Who is the greatest Manitoba hockey player of all time? Get down to the launch of Golden Boys by Ty Dilello to find out!

 

Fall Launches Set!

Posted on by gpadmin

24430-From_the_Barren_Lands_Cover_v2.inddThe morning air is crisper in Winnipeg this week, and thus our first reminder about the coming fall is upon us. It’s always sad to see summer come to an end, but we are excited to launch our fall titles in October!  Mark your calendars.

October 8 – Madder Carmine by Tyler Enfield launches at Audreys Books in Edmonton.

October 20 – Stan Milosevic’s Wish You Were Here launches at McNally Robinson in Winnipeg.

October 24 – Night Moves, Richard Van Camp’s newest collection of short stories, celebrates a Winnipeg launch at McNally.

November 5 – Leonard G. Flett’s much anticipated memoir From The Barren Lands kicks off in Winnipeg at McNally.

We have decided to shift the launch of Carolyn Gray’s Dean Gunnarson: The Making Of An Escape Artist to be our feature non-fiction title of the Spring 2016 list.

Spring Books are off!

Posted on by gpadmin

GP_Gracelessland_cover_NEWThe sun is shining, the plants are blooming, and our authors are launching! Yes, spring is officially here.

Jodi Carmichael kicked off the release of Forever Julia with a standing-room-only launch event in McNally Robinson’s Atrium. Since then, she’s received an excellent review from The Winnipeg Free Press (“This is a young writer to watch”), and is garnering glowing feedback on her current blog tour (follow her adventures on her website).

Richard Cumyn also had a successful launch in Kingston for his collection of novellas, Famous Last Meals. Kathleen Winter calls this collection “a cross between Maurice Dekobra and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.”

This week will see the launch of Gracelessland, our first Enfield & Wizenty novel since Méira Cook’s stunning The House On Sugarbush Road.  Adam Lindsay Honsinger’s coming of age, anti-hero mental hospital adventure had us glued to the page and we can’t wait to see what the rest of Canada thinks about this outstanding young writer!

Additional May launches include A Daytripper’s Guide to Manitoba, a completely revised edition from Bartley Kives, and On The Air: The Golden Age of Manitoba Radio by Garry Moir.  Both authors are booking media interviews and author signings already!

Ready, Set, Launch!

Posted on by gpadmin

March is coming to an end and that means we are headed into launch season here at Great Plains! We are proud of the eclectic mix of titles on our spring list. Mark the dates below in your calendar to meet the authors behind the titles and pick up a signed copy for your collection!

April 16th – Forever Julia by Jodi Carmichael (McNally Robinson, Winnipeg, 7pm)

Apirl 28th – Famous Last Meals by Richard Cumyn (Novel Idea Bookstore, Kingston, 7pm)

May 7th – Gracelessland by Adam Lindsay Honsinger (Ben McNally Bookstore, Toronto, 6pm)

May 9th – A Daytripper’s Guide to Manitoba by Bartley Kives (McNally Robinson, Winnipeg, 7pm)

May 12th – On The Air by Gary Moir (McNally Robinson, Winnipeg, 7pm)

Do you have questions about any of the launches above? Simply email our Marketing Director, Mel Marginet, at marketing@greatplains.mb.ca.

Spring List

Posted on by gpadmin

GP_Gracelessland_cover_NEWIt may still be January, but we are in the midst of designing, printing and promoting our spring titles. We have a novel from an exciting new author set to launch in Toronto in early May. Our last novel under Enfield & Wizenty, The House On Sugarbush Road, won the Book of the Year Award among numerous honours, and we have been combing our submissions for the next novel to release under our E&W imprint.  Adam Lindsay Honsinger’s Gracelessland arrived with a quirky narrator and a glowing blurb from Annabel Lyon, and we are thrilled to hit the print button on a book that has everyone here at Great Plains Publications buzzing.

Visit the New Titles section of our website to find out more about all of our titles set to hit bookshelves this spring.  It’s never too early to plan that summer reading list!

Black Bottle Man On Stage

Posted on by gpadmin

9781894283991Craig Russell’s celebrated novel, Black Bottle Man, has been adapted for the stage.

You can catch the production at 2 or 8 PM on August 30th at the Bernie Theatre in Winnipeg (123 Doncaster Street). Tickets are $15 and available now at McNally Robinson Booksellers on Grant Avenue.

Black Bottle Man was released in 2010 and went on to both win and be shortlisted for numerous awards. Catch this review of the novel from the CBC!  An MTS Documentary is also in the works. Congratulations Craig on the continuing success of this beloved novel for teens!

Strong reviews and nominations for Great Plains Authors

Posted on by gpadmin

Spring has finally sprung in Manitoba, and our latest releases have been garnering strong reviews.

Pickle Me This says Lee Kvern’s 7 Ways To Sunday is “wild instead of farmed, 20-some years of stories gathered together for the first time instead of a carefully curated collection … I loved this book, hooked by the first story.”  7 Ways to Sunday was the #1 fiction bestseller in Calgary last week, and Lee is on the road promoting the book. Check out one of her events near you!

lockdown_cover largeFirst-time author Maggie Bolitho has launched Lockdown, and a glowing review of the book is already in!  “I would give this story a two-thumbs-up and highly recommend it for teens as well as adults … There’s just the right mix of suspense and action that keeps the reader barreling along at break-neck speed” says Susan Rocan on her blog, MyWithershins.

The Manitoba Young Readers’ Choice Awards have been announced, and Morven and the Horse Clan by Luanne Armstrong has made the shortlist.  We are entering the second printing of this novel released in the fall of 2013.  Get your copy today!

Finally, our spring releases continue! John Toone’s Fishin’ For Dumbasses: Tips for folks who want to catch their own food (and have fun doing it!) launches  Wednesday, May 14th at McNally Robinson in the restaurant at 8 pm. We’re told fish will be on the menu, so get down to Prairie Ink Cafe early to enjoy a delicious pre-launch meal!

A launch and a great review!

Posted on by gpadmin

More exciting news here at Great Plains Publications!

Our spring YA titles continue to shine, with a fantastic review of The Fall just in from CM Magazine:

“The theme of how grief is handled by men and boys permeates this novel and makes it a must-read for teachers and older teens, both boys and girls. The physical and emotional absence of men in the novel’s demographic will raise many passionate discussions, but it is the boys’ pain and grief that will engage students who will have strong opinions on the issues raised in this timely Canadian novel.”
— Highly recommended, CM Magazine

 

May 7, Anne Mahon’s The Lucky Ones: African Refugees’ Stories of Extraordinary Courage launches at McNally Robinson at 7 pm.  Storytellers from the novel will be present and some will read.  We are excited to hear that Lloyd Axworthy will also take part, reading a story submitted by “Anonymous.”  Excerpts of the novel have been featured in the Winnipeg Free Press and on CBC.  We hope to see you there!