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Jim Douglas Publisher of the Year Award 2014
Gentle & Unafraid
Karen Green's introduction for the winner of the 2014 Jim Douglas Publisher of the Year Award: Ronsdale Press - Ron Hatch and Veronica Hatch.
*
Ron Hatch completed his Ph.D at the University of Edinburgh in 1969, with a dissertation on eighteenth century social history and the poetry of George Crabbe. He joined the UBC English Department in 1969 as Assistant Professor and became Associate Professor in 1974. In 1979-80, he was Visiting Professor at Justus Liebig University in Giessen, Germany. In 1989-90 he was Visiting Professor at the University of Erlangen/Nuremberg. And again in 1997, he was invited to be Visiting Professor at the University of Chemnitz, where he introduced a program in Canadian Studies.
Veronica Hatch began her career as a teacher in British Columbia, taught for two years with CUSO in the Punjab in India, and taught in the Calders near Edinburgh for another two years. In later life she taught at universities in Germany. Veronica Hatch is the managing editor of Ronsdale Press and also the children's literature editor.
Ron and Veronica Hatch took over Cacanadadada Press from Margaret Fridel in 1990. Ron, a professor at UBC, was teaching and conducting research while carrying on from where Fridel left off: getting Cacanadadada off the ground. The first books were poetry, an area where Ron felt comfortable and where he felt he had something to contribute, new voices to add; at the time, he was reviewing poetry for the University of Toronto Quarterly's Letters in Canada.
The Hatches attained an emerging publisher's grant from the Canada Council for the Arts and later diversified bringing other genres into the mix. Along the way, Cacanadadada became "Ronsdale,"; for Ron and "Ronny"; (Veronica) and Veronica's maiden name "Lonsdale.";
(Now, I believe there is a slightly different version of the acquisition story of Caca/nada/dada, a "Let's buy a publishing house. How hard can it be?"; version, but I'll leave that one to Veronica and Ron should they choose, on or off the stage.)
The big story though, is that 24 years later Ronsdale Press, under the wings of Veronica and Ron, has grown - quietly some might say - to be a strong and highly regarded press on the BC and Canadian literary landscapes, publishing: fiction, poetry, regional history, biography and autobiography, books of ideas about Canada, as well as children's books and translation including translations of Korean poetry. Today the press has published well over 200 titles. Ronsdale's authors and books are recognized regularly with award and critical accolades, translation deals, and best seller list nods.
A defining moment for Ronsdale and the Hatches was Clayoquot & Dissent, published in 1994 and edited by Ron Hatch and Veronica Hatch: ABCBookWorld's entry on Ronald B. Hatch says: "In 1993, in response to a BC government decision to allow logging in two-thirds of the old growth forest in Clayoquot Sound, more than 12,000 people attended blockades on Vancouver Island, resulting in more than 850 arrests. It was the largest collective act of peaceful civil disobedience in Canadian history.";
Ron Hatch himself was sentenced to 20 days under electronic surveillance, 25 community hours and probation for the rest of the year. Ron is quoted as having said: "We were never allowed to say anything substantial or meaningful in the trial, so we did the book.";
Ronsdale Press is also well known for publishing the work of renowned author Jack Hodgins who found Ronsdale based on word of mouth. The ABPBC media release asks: How does one earn such a solid reputation? "By working gently and honestly with authors,"; said Ron. ...
I had the great pleasure of attending a dinner for Ron organized by Alan Twigg. The dinner was primarily a celebration of Ron by Ronsdale's authors. The respect was quite something to behold, from those in the room and from many from far and wide who had sent notes of congratulations as well as stories of working with Ron on manuscripts, stories that told of hard work and much respect for the editorial process in the end.
I've had the pleasure the past seven or so years of working with Ron on the board of the Literary Press Group of Canada and on the board of the ABPBC. Many great things can be said about Ronsdale, its publishing program and accolades, but I've also been struck by Ron's dedication to his communities of publishers. He's given a great deal of time to serve on boards, rarely missing a meeting, always on time. The "gentle"; and "honest"; approach referred to above with authors is the same approach I've seen in Ron's board work. Ron always says what he thinks, whether it's popular or not, an unafraid, and yes - gentle, style. His contributions are often important points of view not yet considered. His input on this level must also be recognized.
Finally, I had the opportunity to connect with an old friend and colleague of Ron and Veronica's, Michael Carroll. He sent along these words:
"What does the name Ron Hatch conjure up for me? Motorcycles; black leather; the view toward Vancouver Island over the Strait of Georgia at the University of British Columbia; the calm amid a storm; quiet passion for the best poetry and fiction possible; great dinners and talk with Ron and Veronica in Thai, Vietnamese, Italian, and Chinese restaurants and a few greasy spoons across Canada; and attendance at a variety of stage plays over the years from the stage version of Thomas Vinterberg's film Festen with Eric Petersen and Nicholas Campbell to a wide assortment of plays at Toronto's Soulpepper, Tarragon, and Canadian Stage.
"I likely first met Ron in early 2000 shortly after taking over Vancouver's BeachHolme Publishing. I believe it was at a Literary Press Group sales conference/general meeting in Toronto. Ron and I went to a lot of those in the early years of this century. We also met up at book fairs, ACP meetings, and of course ABPBC events. I recall one such ABPBC occasion in particular: a retreat on Gabriola Island a dozen or so years ago. The ABPBC retreats for me, and I'm sure Ron, too, provided a respite from the storms of our daily book publishing travails and challenges. And the retreat on Gabriola Island did just that ... at first. About halfway or so through our sojourn on the island there was a massive snowstorm that knocked out the power on a good deal of Gabriola.
"As always Ron seemed outwardly tranquil while I noticeably fretted. He was then, and still is, a living embodiment of grace under pressure, just as he was during the dark days of that period when our mutual distributor General/Stoddart collapsed, independent bookstores were closing left and right, newspapers and magazines were already cutting back review space savagely, and Indigo was embroiled in a hostile takeover of Chapters that dragged on for months on end.
"Power failure? Freezing temperatures and no heat? So much snow that we might never get off the island? What's the problem? Ron might have said, smiling serenely. Look at all the trees, the sea, plenty of good food even if we can't cook it, and an endless supply of good books to read. What more could you want?
"Things change. People come and go. I've been back in Toronto for years and am now helping a new museum publish its first books. But Ronsdale continues to bring out terrific poetry, adult and youth fiction, and non-fiction, to support new and seasoned authors, and to fuel Canadian publishing with what it will always need: enthusiasm, perseverance, and the willingness to lay body, mind, and spirit on the line to furnish our culture, and the world's culture, with great words and images. Ronsdale richly deserves the Jim Douglas Publisher of the Year Award and I congratulate Ron and Veronica. Maybe someday I'll get a ride on Ron's motorcycle.";
Karen Green's introduction for the winner of the 2014 Jim Douglas Publisher of the Year Award: Ronsdale Press - Ron Hatch and Veronica Hatch.
*
Ron Hatch completed his Ph.D at the University of Edinburgh in 1969, with a dissertation on eighteenth century social history and the poetry of George Crabbe. He joined the UBC English Department in 1969 as Assistant Professor and became Associate Professor in 1974. In 1979-80, he was Visiting Professor at Justus Liebig University in Giessen, Germany. In 1989-90 he was Visiting Professor at the University of Erlangen/Nuremberg. And again in 1997, he was invited to be Visiting Professor at the University of Chemnitz, where he introduced a program in Canadian Studies.
Veronica Hatch began her career as a teacher in British Columbia, taught for two years with CUSO in the Punjab in India, and taught in the Calders near Edinburgh for another two years. In later life she taught at universities in Germany. Veronica Hatch is the managing editor of Ronsdale Press and also the children's literature editor.
Ron and Veronica Hatch took over Cacanadadada Press from Margaret Fridel in 1990. Ron, a professor at UBC, was teaching and conducting research while carrying on from where Fridel left off: getting Cacanadadada off the ground. The first books were poetry, an area where Ron felt comfortable and where he felt he had something to contribute, new voices to add; at the time, he was reviewing poetry for the University of Toronto Quarterly's Letters in Canada.
The Hatches attained an emerging publisher's grant from the Canada Council for the Arts and later diversified bringing other genres into the mix. Along the way, Cacanadadada became "Ronsdale,"; for Ron and "Ronny"; (Veronica) and Veronica's maiden name "Lonsdale.";
(Now, I believe there is a slightly different version of the acquisition story of Caca/nada/dada, a "Let's buy a publishing house. How hard can it be?"; version, but I'll leave that one to Veronica and Ron should they choose, on or off the stage.)
The big story though, is that 24 years later Ronsdale Press, under the wings of Veronica and Ron, has grown - quietly some might say - to be a strong and highly regarded press on the BC and Canadian literary landscapes, publishing: fiction, poetry, regional history, biography and autobiography, books of ideas about Canada, as well as children's books and translation including translations of Korean poetry. Today the press has published well over 200 titles. Ronsdale's authors and books are recognized regularly with award and critical accolades, translation deals, and best seller list nods.
A defining moment for Ronsdale and the Hatches was Clayoquot & Dissent, published in 1994 and edited by Ron Hatch and Veronica Hatch: ABCBookWorld's entry on Ronald B. Hatch says: "In 1993, in response to a BC government decision to allow logging in two-thirds of the old growth forest in Clayoquot Sound, more than 12,000 people attended blockades on Vancouver Island, resulting in more than 850 arrests. It was the largest collective act of peaceful civil disobedience in Canadian history.";
Ron Hatch himself was sentenced to 20 days under electronic surveillance, 25 community hours and probation for the rest of the year. Ron is quoted as having said: "We were never allowed to say anything substantial or meaningful in the trial, so we did the book.";
Ronsdale Press is also well known for publishing the work of renowned author Jack Hodgins who found Ronsdale based on word of mouth. The ABPBC media release asks: How does one earn such a solid reputation? "By working gently and honestly with authors,"; said Ron. ...
I had the great pleasure of attending a dinner for Ron organized by Alan Twigg. The dinner was primarily a celebration of Ron by Ronsdale's authors. The respect was quite something to behold, from those in the room and from many from far and wide who had sent notes of congratulations as well as stories of working with Ron on manuscripts, stories that told of hard work and much respect for the editorial process in the end.
I've had the pleasure the past seven or so years of working with Ron on the board of the Literary Press Group of Canada and on the board of the ABPBC. Many great things can be said about Ronsdale, its publishing program and accolades, but I've also been struck by Ron's dedication to his communities of publishers. He's given a great deal of time to serve on boards, rarely missing a meeting, always on time. The "gentle"; and "honest"; approach referred to above with authors is the same approach I've seen in Ron's board work. Ron always says what he thinks, whether it's popular or not, an unafraid, and yes - gentle, style. His contributions are often important points of view not yet considered. His input on this level must also be recognized.
Finally, I had the opportunity to connect with an old friend and colleague of Ron and Veronica's, Michael Carroll. He sent along these words:
"What does the name Ron Hatch conjure up for me? Motorcycles; black leather; the view toward Vancouver Island over the Strait of Georgia at the University of British Columbia; the calm amid a storm; quiet passion for the best poetry and fiction possible; great dinners and talk with Ron and Veronica in Thai, Vietnamese, Italian, and Chinese restaurants and a few greasy spoons across Canada; and attendance at a variety of stage plays over the years from the stage version of Thomas Vinterberg's film Festen with Eric Petersen and Nicholas Campbell to a wide assortment of plays at Toronto's Soulpepper, Tarragon, and Canadian Stage.
"I likely first met Ron in early 2000 shortly after taking over Vancouver's BeachHolme Publishing. I believe it was at a Literary Press Group sales conference/general meeting in Toronto. Ron and I went to a lot of those in the early years of this century. We also met up at book fairs, ACP meetings, and of course ABPBC events. I recall one such ABPBC occasion in particular: a retreat on Gabriola Island a dozen or so years ago. The ABPBC retreats for me, and I'm sure Ron, too, provided a respite from the storms of our daily book publishing travails and challenges. And the retreat on Gabriola Island did just that ... at first. About halfway or so through our sojourn on the island there was a massive snowstorm that knocked out the power on a good deal of Gabriola.
"As always Ron seemed outwardly tranquil while I noticeably fretted. He was then, and still is, a living embodiment of grace under pressure, just as he was during the dark days of that period when our mutual distributor General/Stoddart collapsed, independent bookstores were closing left and right, newspapers and magazines were already cutting back review space savagely, and Indigo was embroiled in a hostile takeover of Chapters that dragged on for months on end.
"Power failure? Freezing temperatures and no heat? So much snow that we might never get off the island? What's the problem? Ron might have said, smiling serenely. Look at all the trees, the sea, plenty of good food even if we can't cook it, and an endless supply of good books to read. What more could you want?
"Things change. People come and go. I've been back in Toronto for years and am now helping a new museum publish its first books. But Ronsdale continues to bring out terrific poetry, adult and youth fiction, and non-fiction, to support new and seasoned authors, and to fuel Canadian publishing with what it will always need: enthusiasm, perseverance, and the willingness to lay body, mind, and spirit on the line to furnish our culture, and the world's culture, with great words and images. Ronsdale richly deserves the Jim Douglas Publisher of the Year Award and I congratulate Ron and Veronica. Maybe someday I'll get a ride on Ron's motorcycle.";
Submitted on April 30, 2014 in By David.
