From the desk of Robert Runte I first heard Dr. Hargreaves read Dead to the World in 1976 just before North by 2000 was published. The story was funny and thought provoking and was something of a revelation, because it was the first time I was able to pinpoint what it was about Canadian SF that was different. North by 2000 was the first short story collection ever marketed as Canadian Science Fiction, and it…
By the time 2011 rolled around we were really beginning to ramp up. Robert Runte had joined us as Senior Editor (also known as Wing-Man), and with him he brought an entirely new perspective and invaluable skills. It was under his editorial guidance we released The Organic Home Garden, by Patrick Lima and John Scanlan. Patrick Lima approached me late in 2010, wondering if I’d be interested in publishing a revised version of his orphaned book….
By 2010 Five Rivers was beginning to solicit the interest of a few more authors. Late in 2009 I was approached by Nate Hendley who had a shelf full of orphaned titles, and he wondered if I’d be interested in giving life to any of them. Nate Hendley (right) with his sister, Alicia Hendley (left)at Word on the Street, Toronto, 2010. I have to say right from the outset I was impressed with Nate Hendley….
Had an urgent email today from an author who had awakened in the middle of the night with the nagging feeling there was something wrong with the manuscript we’d just sent off to the publisher. The author had started work on the sequel and couldn’t remember whether one of the minor (i.e., non-speaking, almost entirely off-stage) characters was the King’s sister or daughter. So went to check the manuscript and found that the character was…
When Five Rivers launched into publishing, it was with humble beginnings and a small catalogue, primarily my own works. It was never my intention for Five Rivers to be a vanity house, yet in those first two years we were very embryonic, soliciting manuscripts and developing our mandate, which was to be a showcase of new and established Canadian voices. We tested the waters with: Shadow Song, by Lorina Stephens, August 2008 And the Angels…