Talonbooks is an independent publisher of Canadian literature based in Vancouver, British Columbia. Its repertoire features authors writing in the literary genres of

poetry Poetry (derived from the Greek '' poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings ...

, fiction and drama, as well as non-fiction books in the fields of ethnography, environmental and social issues, cultural studies, and literary criticism. Notable Talonbooks authors include Michel Tremblay, George Ryga, bpNichol, George Bowering, bill bissett,

Daphne Marlatt Daphne Marlatt, born Buckle, CM (born July 11, 1942 in Melbourne, Australia), is a Canadian poet and novelist who lives in Vancouver, British Columbia. At a young age her family moved to Malaysia and at age nine they moved to British Columb ...

George F. Walker George F. Walker (born August 23, 1947) is a Canadian playwright and screenwriter. He is one of Canada's most prolific playwrights, and also one of the most widely produced Canadian dramatists both in Canada and internationally. Early years W ...

M.A.C. Farrant Mac or MAC most commonly refers to: * Mac (computer), a family of personal computers made by Apple Inc. * Mackintosh, a raincoat made of rubberized cloth * A variant of the word macaroni, mostly used in the name of the dish mac and cheese * Mac, ...

and Mary Meigs. The company started as a magazine called ''Talon'' in 1963. It was run by David Robinson and some of his high-school friends. It later incorporated Jim Brown, who acted as both a writer and editor for the publication. Talon later joined with a small local press called Very Stone House and published its first string of poetry books in 1967. The association with Very Stone House ended a year later, and the Talonbooks imprint started appearing by itself. In 1969, with the addition of Peter Háy as drama editor, Talonbooks published its first drama title, ''

Colours in the Dark ''Colours in the Dark'' is a play by James Reaney. It was produced by the Stratford Festival The Stratford Festival is a theatre festival which runs from April to October in the city of Stratford, Ontario, Canada. Founded by local journalis ...

'', by

James Reaney James Crerar Reaney, (September 1, 1926 – June 11, 2008) was a Canadian poet, playwright, librettist, and professor, "whose works transform small-town Ontario life into the realm of dream and symbol." Reaney won Canada's highest literary a ...

. Its editorial focus began shifting gradually more toward drama until that became the company's area of specialization. Karl Siegler joined Talonbooks in 1974 and later became its president and publisher. Karl and Christy Siegler ran the press until December 31, 2007, when it was acquired by Kevin and Vicki Williams (though Siegler remained with the company until the end of 2011).BC BookWorld – Siegler, Karl
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References

External links

Talonbooks official website
*
Records of Talonbooks held by Simon Fraser University's Special Collections and Rare Books
1963 establishments in British Columbia Book publishing companies of Canada Publishing companies established in 1963 {{Canada-media-company-stub