They were publishers, founders, booksellers, authors, and editors. Over the course of 2023, the world of Canadian letters lost a number of notable people. As the year draws to a close, Q&Q looks back at some of those who are no longer with us. 

Terence Dickinson, February 1, 2023

Canadian author and astronomer Terence Dickinson popularized the night sky.

Over the course of his career, Dickinson shared his enthusiasm and knowledge of the cosmos through a variety of media, including an astronomy column in the Toronto Star, articles in magazines from Maclean’s to Canadian Geographic, and through his 14 books on astronomy for both adults and children, beginning with 1983’s Night Watch. He was remembered by his publisher, Firefly Books, as a superb writer who “conveyed his knowledge and enthusiasm in clear and simple language.” Dickinson was also a frequent guest on CBC Radio’s Quirks and Quarks. 

Joan Clark, April 11, 2023

The author of more than 15 books, Joan Clark was renowned for her writing for both children and adults. She won both the Writers’ Trust Vicky Metcalf Award for Literature for Young People, which is awarded to an author for their exceptional body of work in children’s literature, and the Writers’ Trust Engel Findley Award, which is given to a mid-career author in recognition of their remarkable body of work and future contributions to Canadian literature. 

Born in Liverpool, Nova Scotia, Clark spent time living in many communities across Canada, including St. John’s, Edmonton, Ottawa, and Calgary. Clark began writing at the kitchen table when her children were napping, her family said in a death notice, and she published her first novel, Girl of the Rockies, in 1968. A co-founder of Calgary-based Dandelion Magazine in the 1970s, she was a passionate advocate for the arts, and also served as a founding member of the Writers Guild of Alberta and Writers’ Alliance of Newfoundland and Labrador (WritersNL).  

Her last novel, The Birthday Lunch, was published in 2015, when she was 80.

Kirk Howard, June 30, 2023

Kirk Howard founded Dundurn Press in 1972, with a focus on publishing books about Canadian history. He served as president of the Association of Canadian Publishers and as president of the Organization of Book Publishers of Ontario.

Michael Gnarowski, July 27, 2023

Michael Gnarowski was a professor, poet, editor, and critic who was committed to promoting and fostering the growth of Canadian literature. He co-edited 1967’s The Making of Modern Poetry in Canada with long-time friend Louis Dudek, which offered readers a behind-the-scenes view of the development of modern poetry in Canada. The third edition of the book was published in 2015. 

A co-founder of a number of small presses and literary magazines, Gnarowski also held roles in academic publishing, and served as vice-president, general editor, and founding director of Carleton University Press. He died in Ottawa at the age of 88. 

Sharon Fitzhenry, August 26, 2023

Sharon Fitzhenry was president and CEO at Fitzhenry & Whiteside from the mid-1990s, when she took over the role from her father. Fitzhenry expanded the company’s role in the industry, acquiring publishers and developing a strong trade publishing program. 

Peter C. Newman, September 7, 2023

Peter C. Newman, the journalist, editor, and award-winning author, wrote dozens of books about the history of Canada, the rise and fall of Canadian media moguls, and biographies of Canadian prime ministers over the course of his lengthy career. He held top positions at a number of national publications, including the Toronto Star, and served as longtime editor of Maclean’s, which he transformed from a general interest magazine into a weekly news magazine. 

He was born Peta Karel Neumann in Vienna, Austria, in 1929, and grew up in the Czech town of Breclav until his family fled the Nazis and moved to Canada in 1940. 

Newman was named an Officer of the Order of Canada in 1978 for his “notable contribution in the field of journalism,” and promoted to a Companion of the order in 1990. He died in Belleville, Ontario, of complications from Parkinson’s disease at the age of 94.   

Donald Bastian, October 3, 2023

Don Bastian was managing editor at Stoddart Publishing for 14 years before he went on to create his own publishing companies. 

Clyde Rose, October 25, 2023

One of the co-founders of St. Johns’ based publisher Breakwater Books, Clyde Rose ran the press for more than 30 years. Rose was a stalwart of the Newfoundland and Labrador literary arts community. 

 

Bev Shaw, November 27, 2023

With her personalized book recommendations, effervescent energy, and sly wit, Bev Shaw of Talewind Books in Sechelt, B.C., not only ran a successful bookstore but was thought of by many in the community as a member of the family. 

“She was the life and soul of literary culture here in Gibsons, Sechelt, and Pender Harbour,” said Harbour Publishing and Douglas & McIntyre president Howard White. “If some bookselling academy somewhere wanted to give their students an object lesson in how to run the perfect small-town bookstore, they could do no better than sending them to follow Bev around for a day. She perfected it.”

Talewind Books was the official bookseller for the annual Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts, and festival artistic and executive director Marisa Alps said Shaw always made sure to be well prepared for the event, checking in with authors in advance to see which titles from their backlists they would like to have available for festivalgoers to purchase. 

Shaw was so popular that sales meetings always took a long time because everyone who came into the store wanted to chat with her. “I joked to her that she was like the mayor of Sechelt, to which she wryly replied ‘No way… people actually like me!’” said Ampersand account manager Dani Farmer. 

Shaw shared her passion for books and handselling with the staff she brought in to work with her at Talewind. “You could see her spirit working in the store still, because the people she trained and mentored know exactly how to treat their customers and how to run a bookstore,” Alps said. 

Shaw died unexpectedly in late November at the age of 64 after a brief battle with cancer. A celebration of her life is planned for December 16, and her family has worked with the Sunshine Coast Community Foundation to establish the Bev Shaw Literacy Fund in her name.