This World Book Day, the Association of English-language Publishers of Quebec returns with the second edition of OPEN BOOKS, OPEN MINDS, a one-day conference geared towards the book publishing industry in Quebec and beyond. Join us in Montreal or online on April 23, 2025, for a full day of panels on the latest issues facing publishers and book industry professionals.
Please note that the Centre Culturel Georges-Vanier is accessible to those with reduced mobility.
9 am-10 am
Join Biblioasis founder Dan Wells to discuss the history and success of this Windsor-based bookstore and press, which recently celebrated its twentieth anniversary the same year it took home the coveted Canada Reads prize for Catherine Leroux’s The Future.
With:
Dan Wells, Biblioasis
Dan Wells founded Biblioasis as a bookstore in 1998, and the company began publishing books in 2004. Since that time the press has published over 400 titles including, fiction, poetry, social criticism, and titles in translation from around the world. Their books and authors have won and been nominated for many of the leading prizes in the world, including the Man Booker and International Booker, Dublin Impac, Goldsmith’s, Governor General’s, Writer’s Trust, and other prizes. Biblioasis also publishes, with charming irregularity, CNQ: Canadian Notes & Queries, the longest-running independent critical journal in the country. He lives with his wife and children in Windsor, Ontario.
10 am – 11:15 am
For better or for worse, artificial intelligence is here to stay. How are publishers and writers approaching this new phenomenon in a way that retains the human aspect of bookmaking?
With:
- Fenwick McKelvey, Applied AI Institute, Concordia University
- Crystal Chan, Quebec Writers’ Federation
- Valentine Goddard, AI Impact Alliance
- Harley Smart, Anteism Books
Fenwick McKelvey is an Associate Professor in Information and Communication Technology Policy in the Department of Communication Studies at Concordia University. He is co-director of the Applied AI Institute and leads Machine Agencies at the Milieux Institute. He studies digital politics and policy. He is the author of Internet Daemons: Digital Communications Possessed (University of Minnesota Press, 2018) winner of the 2019 Gertrude J. Robinson Book Award. He is co-author of The Permanent Campaign: New Media, New Politics (Peter Lang, 2012) with Greg Elmer and Ganaele Langlois.
As both a writer and a digital designer, Crystal Chan’s specialty is merging storytelling and technology. She is an editor at UBC Press and the incoming president of the Quebec Writers’ Federation. She studied computational writing as an artist-in-residence at the Banff Centre, exhibited algorithmically-generated literature at BBAM! Gallery, and taught new media and AI writing to undergraduate students as an adjunct professor in the Creative Writing Department of the University of British Columbia.
Lawyer and artist, Valentine Goddard is the founder and executive director of AI Impact Alliance, a non-profit organization that integrates art-based methods into the study of the legal, economic, cultural and political implications of AI. A member of Canada’s Advisory Council on AI (2021–2024), a member of a number of United Nations expert groups, and a regularly invited speaker at leading international forums, she has had the honour to collaborate with global experts on informing AI policy and governance.
Harley Smart is an independent publisher, book artist, and designer exploring the intersections of art, technology, and storytelling. With a background in design and computation arts, Harley’s work delves into how emerging technologies like generative AI can shape the future of book-making and creative production. His hands-on approach combines traditional book arts with new tools, resulting in innovative projects that challenge the boundaries of human-machine collaboration. He is publisher of Anteism Books and owner/operator of BookArt Inc, with a bookbindery in Montreal’s Mile End.
11:30 am – 12:30 pm
For many, publishing books is a labour of love. In an industry known for its demanding work conditions, where busyness is often conflated with success, and tech keeps us connected even when we would rather not be, how can we create boundaries to stay energized and inspired?
Led by educational psychologist Dr. Anna Sverdlik, this talk will help participants identify common challenges faced by entrepreneurs driven by a passion for their work, and discuss strategies to create a healthy balance between ambition and wellbeing.
With:
- Dr. Anna Sverdlik, Melioscope
Dr. Anna Sverdlik is the founder of Melioscope, a consulting firm specializing in engagement in organizations. She has 14 years of academic and practical experience developing engaging educational programs and improving engagement and productivity in a variety of settings. She is the author of over 20 academic articles and chapters, and a contributing author in popular media outlets such as Psychology Today. Dr. Sverdlik is additionally a faculty lecturer at the Department of Educational and Counselling Psychology.
1:30 pm – 2:45 pm
Against a backdrop of trade tensions and political instability, how can Canadian publishers strengthen their relationships with overseas markets? This panel will help publishers navigate the changing landscape of international distribution and foreign rights.
With:
- Lisa Quinn, McGill-Queen’s University Press
- Gabrielle Etcheverry, Livres Canada Books
- Dan Wells, Biblioasis
- Kathryn Willms, The Rights Factory
Lisa Quinn is the Executive Director of McGill-Queen’s University Press, based in Montreal, Quebec. Previous to joining MQUP in 2023, she spent eight years as director at Wilfrid Laurier University Press in Waterloo, Ontario, where she began her publishing career as an acquiring editor in 2006. She is currently serving as vice-president of the Association of Canadian Publishers and as a member of the board of directors of Livres Canada Books, as well as a past president of the Association of Canadian University Presses and the Ontario Book Publishers’ Organization.
Gabrielle Etcheverry serves as Deputy Executive Director of Livres Canada Books, a not-for-profit organization with a mandate to support Canadian-owned book publishers in their export sales activities and in developing international partnerships.
An experienced international communications and outreach professional, Gabrielle holds over a decade of expertise in various fields of research and communications. She has previously taught university courses on Canadian and Latin American studies and has also worked as a Spanish-English translator and editor.
Dan Wells founded Biblioasis as a bookstore in 1998, and the company began publishing books in 2004. Since that time the press has published over 400 titles including, fiction, poetry, social criticism, and titles in translation from around the world. Their books and authors have won and been nominated for many of the leading prizes in the world, including the Man Booker and International Booker, Dublin Impac, Goldsmith’s, Governor General’s, Writer’s Trust, and other prizes. Biblioasis also publishes, with charming irregularity, CNQ: Canadian Notes & Queries, the longest-running independent critical journal in the country. He lives with his wife and children in Windsor, Ontario.
Kathryn Willms is a literary agent at The Rights Factory, a literary agency based in Toronto with an international reach. Kathryn was formerly vice-president and senior editor at Colborne Communications and hybrid publisher of Iguana Books before launching a career as a freelance educational editor and writer. For the past four years, she has been working with nonfiction authors to sell rights in the major English-language markets, and has represented the agency at international rights-focused events such as the Frankfurt Book Fair and the TIFA IV program. She is the incoming treasurer for the Professional Association of Canadian Literary Agents.
2:45 pm – 4 pm
How can publishers get their books onto local library shelves? Librarians and suppliers come together to demystify the acquisitions process and share insight into the decision-making behind their collections.
With:
- Aeron MacHattie, Concordia University
- Elise Marcoux, Librairie Bertrand
- Barbara Whiston, Lower Canada College
- Daryan Sykes, Bibliothèques de Pierrefonds et William-G.-Boll (Roxboro)
Aeron MacHattie (she/her) is an academic librarian whose career has moved through public libraries, museums, and archives. Throughout these varied experiences, she has been driven by the joy of connecting with people and a fascination with the documents that we use to build stories about the past. She is currently a Teaching and Research Librarian at Concordia University, where she supports students and faculty in History, English, and other humanities disciplines. She is also co-President of the Quebec Library Association (ABQLA).
Élise Marcoux is a bookseller and co-owner of Librairie Bertrand in Old Montreal. For the past 10 years, she has devoted herself mainly to institutional sales and the purchase of English books for the bookshop. Every month, with the help of her colleagues, she makes a selection from all the new releases to present to the librarians. When she’s not reading one of the thousands of books on her to-read list, you’ll probably find her on a hiking trail.
Daryan Sykes (she/her) graduated from the Information Studies program at McGill University in June 2024 with hopes of becoming a public librarian. Her dream came true just a few months later when she joined the team at Pierrefonds-Roxboro as one of their librarians. Since starting in August 2024, Daryan has worked on acquiring English books for both the adult and children’s collections for nine different libraries in Montreal. In her spare time, she likes to read books, buy books (which are two different hobbies) and think about books.
Before joining Montreal’s Lower Canada College in the role of Junior School Librarian, Barbara Whiston served in public and private high schools, in early literacy at the Fraser Hickson Library, and as Director of Youth Services at the Jewish Public Library. She is a past president of the Association des bibliothécaires du Québec Library Association (ABQLA), and of its Youth and School Section. When not librarianing, Barbara can be found singing in a choir, thrifting, cooking, or vacuuming cat fur.
4 pm – 5 pm
Stick around for wine and cheese courtesy of AELAQ! Plus, bring a favourite book to participate in a book swap.
Find out more about past conferences here.
