Nicole Winstanley (Lorne Bridgman)

Nicole Winstanley is excited. 

The Simon & Schuster Canada president and publisher is talking about a forthcoming title from the company’s new children’s publishing program. It’s the first acquisition by children’s editor Yashaswi Kesanakurthy, and Winstanley sees it serving a neglected readership. Despite wanting to “shout from the rooftops,” she is unable to share any details just yet, but can’t help hyping the mystery book regardless. 

Winstanley took up the reins at Simon & Schuster Canada in April 2024 after nearly 20 years at Penguin Canada, and the idea of creating a children’s publishing program came up during conversations with S&S president and publisher Jonathan Karp soon after she joined. Winstanley credits its origins to her experience at Penguin. 

“I always responded to the idea of serving as many readers as possible, and ‘books for every reader’ is kind of stitched into my DNA,” Winstanley says, speaking to Q&Q from her home in Toronto earlier this month. “I think there’s a lot of destruction in our world and I would love to be a part of the community that is investing in children becoming readers.” 

Kesanakurthy was named children’s editor in October, and she is accompanied on the editorial team by award-winning author katherena vermette, who joined Simon & Schuster as a senior editor in June. 

The aim of the new children’s publishing program, which will focus on chapter books, middle grade, and YA titles, is to publish six books a year. It is one of several areas of growth that Winstanley has identified for Simon & Schuster Canada, which marked the 10th anniversary of its Canadian publishing program in 2023. Also in her sights is expanding the literary imprint Scribner Canada, launched in 2022, as well as the publisher’s list more generally to include more categories than it has traditionally published in – broadening its lists to provide books for every reader. 

But Winstanley is quick to point out that she is not overhauling anything. 

“I’ve heard a narrative – I’m sure you’ve heard it too – about us starting over or starting from scratch, but that is simply not the case,” she says. “Sure, there’s a new leadership team, a lot of terrific new energy, talented new colleagues, but also so many wonderful writers that have been with Simon & Schuster [for years] like Jesse Thistle, and there are a lot of ingenious ideas and processes and ways of working that were already underway that I get to be a part of.”    

Simon & Schuster Canada has a staff of 50 – “with room to grow” – nearly half of whom are new colleagues, Winstanley says.

“We have this half of institutional knowledge and then all of this fresh energy and perspectives, and a wealth of experience from the booksellers side, from HarperCollins and PRH, and we get to bring all of that knowledge and experience and figure out together who we want to be moving forward.”

Winstanley’s excitement at being at Simon & Schuster Canada isn’t limited to the books being acquired and worked on – “it’s a really electrifying time to be here.” But leaving Penguin Canada after close to two decades wasn’t an easy decision. 

“I think one of the things that we don’t talk about when someone is embracing a new adventure is that it also comes with some very difficult farewells,” Winstanley says. “Taking the helm at Simon & Schuster meant leaving behind beloved authors and colleagues I worked with at Penguin for nearly 20 years, and it’s really hard.”

Some of her colleagues from Penguin Canada have joined her at Simon & Schuster, and in the case of vermette, in a new type of working relationship. Winstanley published The Strangers, vermette’s award-winning companion novel to the multi-award-winning The Break, at Penguin Canada imprint Hamish Hamilton. When she spoke to the author to share the news that she was leaving Penguin, a new way for the pair to continue working together arose. 

“I think I speak for everyone when I say how fortunate we feel to have her as an editorial colleague, that she was willing to add this publishing act to the long list of things she is celebrated for,” Winstanley says. “She’s also been a great colleague to make all of us stop and look at the publishing experience for people who don’t have agents, or who don’t have any publishing experience, especially from underserved communities.”

Winstanley was delighted to find surprises on Simon & Schuster’s list when she joined, including Liann Zhang’s Julie Chan is Dead and Ronald J. Diebert’s Chasing Shadows. Since joining, she has had the pleasure of seeing sales of Thistle’s bestselling memoir From the Ashes reach 250,000 copies, and telling Samantha M. Bailey that her second novel, Watch Out for Her, was one of this year’s five Canada Reads finalists. 

It hasn’t all been blue skies and smooth sailing, however. Sum 41 lead singer Deryck Whibley’s memoir Walking Disaster, which was published by S&S imprint Gallery Books in October 2024, is at the heart of a $6-million libel lawsuit that the band’s former manager filed against Whibley and his publisher over allegations of a non-consensual sexual relationship that were included in the book. Winstanley could not comment on the book or the lawsuit. 

But in spite of difficult moments, Winstanley finds much to be joyful about in publishing, and much to be thankful for at Simon & Schuster Canada, including its sense of community. At a recent offsite meeting with all staff, Winstanley shared this enthusiasm with her team. 

“What I said to all of them, my new wondrous colleagues, is that because we are the size that can gather around a table together, how connected we are is one of our superpowers,” Winstanley says. “We can rally around the books together. We don’t have to juggle competing interests in the same way that other publishers might – we get to problem solve and celebrate together, knowing that publishing is unpredictable, and that has a real community feel. … Working at a place like that is really exciting for me.”