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| Kirk Howard | |
Kirk Howard, founder of Canadian publisher Dundurn Press, died June 30. He was 80. Howard established Dundurn Press in 1972 as a publisher of books on Canadian history. Over the decades, the press expanded, particularly during the 1990s and 2000s, when Dundurn acquired other Canadian publishers, including Natural Heritage Books, XYZ Publishing, and Thomas Allen Publishers. These acquisitions expanded Dundurn's list to encompass business, politics, local interest, memoirs, and travel, along with literary fiction, mysteries, and fiction for young adults.
In a tribute to the man who had "a profound impact on Canada's publishing industry and helping to build the careers of hundreds of Canadian authors," the Dundurn Press team noted that "thousands of books were published under Kirk's tenure and many were nominated for awards.... During his long career, Kirk played a significant part in the development of the Canadian industry and held posts as the president of the Association of Canadian Publishers, the president of the Ontario Book Publishers Organization, treasurer of Livres Canada Books, and board member of Access Copyright."
Howard's many honors include the President's Award from the Ontario Historical Society in 1989 and in 2012; the Janice E. Handford Award from the Ontario Book Publishers Organization in 2015; and Queen Elizabeth II's Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2012. He was invested into the Order of Canada in 2019.
Howard sold Dundurn Press in early 2019. In the tribute, the current Dundurn team noted that it "aims to continue Kirk Howard's legacy by bringing Canadian publishing excellence to the world.... We honor Kirk's hard work and leadership, which underpins the publishing program that we are proud to produce today. And while our thoughts are with Kirk's close friends and families, we are heartened to know that Kirk was able to see Dundurn Press celebrate 50 years before he passed away."