Wilfrid Laurier University Press to celebrate Indigenous authors during University Press Week

Nov. 9, 2020
For Immediate Release

Waterloo - Wilfrid Laurier University Press is joining the Association of University Presses (AUP) in celebrating University Press Week, Nov. 9 to 15, through a series of “Raise UP”-themed virtual events and promotions. The week will emphasize the role university presses play in elevating authors, subjects and whole disciplines that in turn bring new perspectives, ideas and voices to readers around the globe.

“University Press Week is an opportunity for us to highlight how Wilfrid Laurier University Press puts into practice our mission to publish work of scholarly integrity in Canada, in particular work that engages with diverse experience, to inform and enhance both academic and public discourse,” said WLU Press Director Lisa Quinn. “We recognize the accomplishments of our university press colleagues worldwide and the value of our strong professional community in striving towards a common goal: to share the work of our authors, research partners and other stakeholders with the widest possible audience.”

On Nov. 10, WLU Press Senior Editor Siobhan McMenemy will be joining editors from McGill-Queen's University Press, University of Manitoba Press and University of Toronto Press in a discussion on the role university presses in Canada can play in providing a platform for Indigenous voices. McMenemy will speak about WLU Press’s Indigenous Studies series, alongside series editors Deanna Reder and Daniel Heath Justice. The event will be held via Zoom at 5 p.m. and is free and open to the public. Registration is required.

As part of an AUP-sponsored online gallery of projects with the “Raise UP” theme, WLU Press is also featuring Literatures, Communities, and Learning: Conversations with Indigenous Writers, by Aubrey Jean Hanson. The book explores the pressing topic of Indigenous writings and its importance to the well-being of Indigenous Peoples and to Canadian education. It offers readers a chance to listen to Indigenous authors’ perspectives in their own words.

In keeping with the Raise UP theme, other AUP events and promotions during the week will emphasize the strong and long-term partnerships university presses have developed with booksellers, librarians, trade groups and other cultural outlets and venues. A full run-down of all UP Week events can be found on the University Press Week website.

At a time when information moves at faster speeds than ever before across a multiplicity of platforms and access points, it is critical that scholarship about wide-ranging perspectives on important concepts and sociopolitical challenges is nurtured, championed and made widely available to inform public debate and understanding. To that end, AUP members have suggested a Raise UP Reading List and Raise UP Gallery that can serve as a starting place for readers who want to learn more.

University presses publish more than 12,000 books each year, as well as nearly 1,500 journals and numerous innovative digital works. AUP is made up of 154 presses, 20 per cent of which are based outside the U.S.