Snare Books (publishing)

Snare Books is a Canadian independent book publisher.

Founded in spring of 2006, and located in Montreal, Snare Books is a publisher of contemporary poetry and prose fiction. They make a point of publishing Canadian authors who specialize in experimental literature. Although their main focus is on poetry, Snare Books has more recently expanded to pushing a limited number of experimental novels and short stories.^[1]

History

Snare Books, launched in the spring of 2006, was founded by Robert Allen and Jon Paul Fiorentino.^[1] With the death of Allen in the fall of 2006^[2] Fiorentino became the owner, operator, publisher, and editor of the company. The reason behind starting this small Montreal based literary publishing company was due to the result of a discussion between Allen and Fiorentino based on Canadian literary arts.^[1] Through their work together on Matrix Magazine, they had developed a fan base consisting of young writers.^[3] Many of these writers had trouble getting their new, innovative and experimental manuscripts published. While other small publishing companies, similar to Snare Books, are moving on to publish commercial fiction, general fiction, and mainstream poetry, Snare Books believes that they are the home for the young, innovative poets and writers of Canada.^[1] After their launch in 2006, some of the first published works they produced included: Melissa Thompson's Dreadful Paris, Zoe Whittall's The Emily Valentine Poems, Angela Carr's Ropewalk, and Jason Christie's Canada Post.

Founders

Robert Allen

Robert Allen, born in 1946, died in November, 2006 just months after the founding of Snare Books. He is the author of three novels, nine poetry collections, and one work of short fiction. Allen was a mentor to co-founder and owner of Snare Books, Joe Paul Fiorentino. Robert Allen worked alongside Joe Paul Fiorentino at Matrix Magazine.^[4]

Jon Paul Fiorentino

Jon Paul Fiorentino is currently a Concordia University Professor in the Department of English. He received his undergraduate degree in English Literature at the University of Winnipeg. He fulfilled his Honours and Distinction Bachelor of Arts in English and Creative Writing, as well as his Master of Arts in English Literature and Creative writing at Concordia University. Fiorentino was the Head Editor and Founder of Dark Leisure Magazine (1998–2000) and is the Editor-in-Chief of Matrix Magazine.^[5] He has helped edit books for Insomniac Press, Conundrum Press, Cyclops Press, and DC Books. He is the author of several poetry books such as Indexical Elegies (2010), The Theory of the Loser Class (2006), Hello Serotonin (2004), Resume Drowning (2002), and Transcona Fragments (2002). He is also the writer of the anthologies, Career Suicide! Contemporary Literary Humour (2003), Asthmatica (2005), as well as Post Prairie (2005), which included a collaborative work with Robert Kroetsch. His works, Stripmalling, The Theory of the Loser Class, Transcona Fragments, and Indexical Elegies, have been nominated and have received various awards.^[5]

The Robert Kroetsch Award for Innovative Poetry

The Robert Kroetsch Award for Innovative Poetry, founded in 2006, is a not-for-profit contest with an award given to an emerging Canadian poet (2 books or less) by Snare Books once a year.^[6] The winner of the Robert Kroetsch Award for Innovative Poetry receives a contract with Snare Books, the publication of their winning piece, and a $500 honorary prize. Snare Books honours Kroetsch by awarding the annual Robert Kroetsch Award for Innovative Poetry.^[7]

Robert Kroetsch

Robert Kroetsch, born in 1927, is a Canadian novelist, poet, and non-fiction writer.^[8] He has been called names like “The Father of Canadian Postmodernism”,^[8] “Mr. Canadian Postmodern and the “Prairie Poet”.^[8] Majority of his works have been received with praise and in 1969, he won Canada's Governor General's Award for The Studhorse Man.^[9] In 2004 he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada.^[7] He is also an accomplished poet. Both his poetry and critical writings are postmodern in that they subvert tradition, fragmented and opened ended.”^[10] Kroetsch’s work has been important in Canadian literary advancements.^[11]

Past Winners and Judges

• 2007 - Winner: Natalie Zina Walschots for Thumbscrews, Judge: Darren Wershler
• 2008 - Winner: Geoffery Hlibchuk for Variations on Holderlin, Judge: Elizabeth Bachinsky
• 2009 - Winner: Sarah Dowling for Security Posture, Judge: Rachel Zolf
• 2010 - Winner: Jake Kennedy for The Lateral, Judge: Sina Queyras
• 2011 – Winner: Pearl Pirie for Thirsts, Judge: Neil Besner^[12]

Published Works

2011 Titles

Hard Feelings by Sheryda Warrener

Hard Feelings is Warrener’s debut book of poetry. The poems featured in Hard Feelings are about everyday life and the little things that excite humans. If offers her readers a sense of hope and gratitude. Her poems have appeared in many Canadian journals including Event, Grain, Antigonish Review, and The Fiddlehead and the Malahat review. Warrener received an MFA from the University of British Columbia in 2008 as well as a BFA from the University of Victoria in 2001. She is currently a teacher in Sweden.^[13]

The Lateral by Jake Kennedy

Kennedy’s work as a poet and prose writer has appeared in anthologies and literary journals. He is currently teaching in the English Department at Okanagan College. The Lateral won him the 2010 Robert Kroetsch Award for Innovative Poetry. The Lateral includes a long-poem, a series of prose-poem-ruminations, and ends with a section of vulgar poems.^[14]

Update. by Bill Kennedy and Darren Wershler

Update. is the second book Kennedy and Wershler have created together. Kennedy also runs the media consultancy, Stop 14 Media and is the Artistic Director of the Scream Literary Festival in Toronto. Darren Wershler is a Professor of English at Concordia University and is the co-author of twelve books.^[15]

THREE DEATHS by Josip Novakovich

Novakovich is originally from Croatia but moved to the United States at the age of twenty. Three Deaths is his first Canadian edition of his written work. Novakovich received many awards for his works including the Ingram Merrill Award. Three Deaths includes a personal essay, a short story, as well as a classic tale, all focusing around the theme of death.^[16]

Poets and Killers by Helen Hajnoczky

Hajnoczky’s work has appeared in Filling Station, NOD, Matrix and Speechless magazine. She also has a Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree in English and Creative Writing from the University of Calgary. Poets and Killers encompasses the experimental poetry genre through the use advertising language to tell the biography of a man from the 1940s until his death in 2010.^[17]

2010 Titles

• All our Grandfathers are Ghosts by Pasha Malla
• Jack by Mike Spry
• Variations on Holderlin by Geoffrey Hlibchuk

2009 Titles

• The Olive and the Dawn by Ian Orti
• The Taste of Penny by Jeff Parker
• Generator by Ian Christopher Goodman
• Thresh by Kim Minkus
• Security Posture by Sarah Dowling

2007 Titles

• Fake Math by Ryan Fitzpatrick
• Thumbscrews by Natalie Zina Walschots
• The Small blue by Jay Millar

2006 Titles

• The Emily Valentine Poems by Zoe Whittal
• Dreadful Paris by Melisssa A. Thompson
• Rope Walk by Angela Carr
• Canada Post by Jason Christie^[18]

References

External links

• Snare Books Publishing Website
• Robert Kroetsch Award Information
• Jon Paul Fiorentino's Website
• Snare Book's Facebook Page
• Snare Book's Blog
• Jon Paul Fiorentino's Blog
• Robert Kroetsch