 |
|
| Clyde Rose | |
Clyde Rose, co-founder and longtime president of Canadian publisher Breakwater Books, died October 25. He was 86. In a tribute, Breakwater Books posted: "Clyde was well-known in publishing circles around the world, but his name was virtually synonymous with literature in Newfoundland and Atlantic Canada.... Fifty years later, Breakwater is a cultural powerhouse recognized widely for playing a major role in what many consider the dawn of a cultural renaissance in our province."
Jack Illingworth, executive director of the Association of Canadian Publishers, observed that Rose "was a remarkable force in the movement to establish, and bring a broad readership to, the literature of Newfoundland and Labrador. His energy and determination brought the province's writers to the rest of Canada, and the world--I have childhood memories of finding Breakwater titles on my parents' shelves in rural northern Ontario, and also recall seeing Clyde working the halls of the Frankfurt Book Fair in support of his authors. His legacy is today's incarnation of Breakwater Books, a 50-year-old company with a varied and progressive list that showcases the diversity of Newfoundland and Labrador's remarkable literary and artistic communities."
Rose founded the press, with headquarters in St. John's, in 1973 with four of his university-professor colleagues and friends: Tom Dawe, Al Pittman, Pat Byrne, and Richard Buehler. Quill & Quire reported that the group "was motivated in part by their shared frustration with the lack of published works by Newfoundland and Labrador authors, and sought to publish and promote the work of writers living in the province."
After his partners stepped away from publishing, Rose ran Breakwater for more than 30 years, expanding the house with the acquisition in the 1990s of Ontario's Summerhill Press and Newfoundland's Jesperson Press in 2002. The publisher celebrated its 50th anniversary this year.
"Clyde was a dynamic and inspiring publisher," longtime colleague and fellow publisher James Lorimer said. "A pioneer in demanding room within CanLit for Newfoundland writers and poets--and proving that they merited audiences across Canada. He had charisma galore, and used it to bring Canadian writing and books to the attention of many of the world's publishers."
Rose served as president of the Association of Canadian Publishers in 1988 and 1989 and was an active member of the Literary Press Group of Canada. He was awarded the inaugural Pioneer Award from the Atlantic Book Awards Society. Rose retired in 2009, when his daughter, Rebecca Rose, took over as publisher and president of the company.
Breakwater also noted in its tribute that "while Clyde's heart for Breakwater's editorial was distinctly centered on Newfoundland and Labrador, his eye was wider reaching, and he fostered connections with publishing houses, agents, and writers all over the world. Clyde ensured that Breakwater was one of the first houses in Canada to attend the Frankfurt Book Fair, now standard practice for many publishers. It was here and through his connections abroad that he sold the stories of our province into other languages and brought foreign tales to our shores in translation. Like many of the great creatives and raconteurs of the time, Clyde was a truly international thinker, with an eye for not only what made a good story, but how to sell it."