FOOTNOTES: CASE STUDIES IN SMALL PRESS BOOKMAKING

In his book Footnotes: Case Studies in the Book Industry of Small Canadian Publishing Houses, Cameron Anstey delves into the study of small publishing houses in Canada since the 1960s. His essays are a tribute to people who have found ways to make books and continue to do so, celebrating work that is often overlooked or underappreciated.Footnotes are an act of recovery, of bibliographic recovery; It makes the case for considering how small publishing houses' books are constructed as objects and as ideas, and how readers are asked to engage with these bookish objects in an ever-changing cultural landscape.Cameron Anstey's Footnotes is a love letter to bookshelves; It shows how Canadian publishers create weird and wonderful titles that fill our offices, our thoughts, and our dreams. As if we were walking down a forest trail accompanied by the best park rangers, Anstey points out the addresses and publishing houses that sprout, like mushrooms and wildflowers, along the way. I adore this book and the deep, rich conversations Anstey brings into our homes.Don't let the title fool you: these brilliant and accurate articles are more than just footnotes. Anstey deftly reveals the stories behind a number of small publishing houses and little-known projects, highlighting a wide range of Canadian talent, both old and new. A love letter to ink, staplers, and artistic possibilities, Footnotes is an essential guide to small publishing, and an inspiration for anyone aspiring to the professional book industry.