Key Porter Books was a

book publishing Publishing is the activity of making information, literature, music, software and other content available to the public for sale or for free. Traditionally, the term refers to the creation and distribution of printed works, such as books, newsp ...

company based in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1979 by

Anna Porter Anna Maria Porter, is a Canadian publisher and novelist. Life and career Born Anna Szigethy in Budapest, she emigrated to New Zealand in 1956. She received a bachelor's degree and Master of Arts degree from the University of Canterbury. She star ...

, later well known as a writer, the company specialized in Canadian

non-fiction Nonfiction, or non-fiction, is any document or media content that attempts, in good faith, to provide information (and sometimes opinions) grounded only in facts and real life, rather than in imagination. Nonfiction is often associated with ...

, although it published some fiction too. It ceased operations in January 2011.

Writers

Key Porter published books by authors including

Farley Mowat Farley McGill Mowat, (May 12, 1921 – May 6, 2014) was a Canadian writer and environmentalist. His works were translated into 52 languages, and he sold more than 17 million books. He achieved fame with the publication of his books on the Ca ...

, Claire Mowat, Allan Fotheringham,

Conrad Black Conrad Moffat Black, Baron Black of Crossharbour (born 25 August 1944), is a Canadian-born British former newspaper publisher, businessman, and writer. His father was businessman George Montegu Black II, who had significant holdings in Cana ...

Erika Ritter Erika Ritter (born 26 April 1948) is a Canadian playwright and humorist. Born in Regina, Saskatchewan, she attended Sacred Heart Academy for High School, studied drama at McGill University and the University of Toronto. In addition to her publish ...

Pamela Wallin Pamela Wallin (born April 10, 1953) is a Canadian senator, former television journalist, and diplomat. She was appointed to the senate on January 2, 2009, where she initially sat as a Conservative. Early life and career Wallin was born in W ...

George Bowering George Harry Bowering, (born December 1, 1935) is a prolific Canadian novelist, poet, historian, and biographer. He was the first Canadian Parliamentary Poet Laureate. He was born in Penticton, British Columbia, and raised in the nearby town o ...

, Diane Francis, Joan Barfoot, Maude Barlow, Stevie Cameron,

Brian Lee Crowley Brian Lee Crowley (born 1955) is a Canadian political economist, author, and public policy commentator. Since 2010 he has been managing director of the Macdonald-Laurier Institute, a think tank in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. From 1995 until about 2 ...

, Dennis Lee,

Mark Bourrie Mark Bourrie (born 1959 or 1960) is a Canadian journalist and author. He has worked as a contract lecturer at Carleton University and the University of Ottawa. In 2020, his biography of Pierre-Esprit Radisson, ''Bushrunner: The Adventures of Pi ...

, Paul Cellucci, Jean Chrétien, M.A.C. Farrant and Cleo Paskal.

Business

Key Porter Books was founded in 1979 by

and Key Publishers Limited of Toronto, Ontario. Porter sold her stake in 2004 and a controlling interest was acquired that July by the Canadian publishing company H.B. Fenn; Harold Fenn, chairman. The head office was located on the 10th floor of the historic Lumsden Building at 6 Adelaide Street East in downtown Toronto until September/October 2010, when Key Porter laid off 11 of 17 employees and relocated to a commercial business park in

Bolton, Ontario Bolton ( 2021 population 26,795) is an unincorporated village that is the most populous community in the town of Caledon, Ontario. It is located beside the Humber River in the Region of Peel, approximately 50 kilometres northwest of Toronto. I ...

(in the northwest of Greater Toronto). There it shared offices with H.B. Fenn Company Limited and Fenn Publishing Limited. On 7 January 2011, Key Porter publisher Jordan Fenn announced the suspension of operations and laid off the remaining staff. At the time it was reported that all book releases would continue as scheduled via H.B. Fenn.

References

External links

Key Porter Books
(1998 to 2012) – archived 2012-02-14; latest copy 2012-07-17 lacks some features Defunct publishing companies of Canada 1979 establishments in Ontario Companies based in Caledon, Ontario Publishing companies established in 1979 Publishing companies disestablished in 2011 2011 disestablishments in Ontario Canadian companies established in 1979 Book publishing companies of Canada {{publish-corp-stub