The Federation of BC Writers has assembled a panel that spans the publishing industry to discuss changes that have impacted writers and readers since the onset of the pandemic. Join us for an engaging chat about where we are, what has changed, and what we might expect over the coming years.
Hybrid events are held in person, you will also be able to watch it live streamed from our Youtube channel.
Location: Room C400, UBC Robson Square
Type: Panel
Sponsored by The Federation of BC Writers
Moderator: Wiley Ho
Panelists: Don Gorman, Chair of The Association of Book Publishers of British Columbia and Publisher at Rocky Mountain Books | Sylvia Skene, Executive Director of The Magazine Association of BC | Richard Kouwenhoven, Hemlock Printers
About The Moderator
Wiley Wei-Chiun Ho is a freelance technical writer, blogger and creative non-fiction writer. Her short stories and personal essays have won awards and been published in the literary journals PRISM international, Ricepaper, River Teeth, and Room. Wiley is in the throes of completing her first book, a memoir about growing up in a transnationally separated (“astronaut”) family.
About The Panelists
Don Gorman lives in Victoria, BC, and is the publisher of Rocky Mountain Books. He has spent the past 25 years working within the book trade and has held positions as a bookseller, publisher’s sales representative, and acquisitions editor. Along with publishing 20 - 30 books a year, he spends much of his time working with other book publishers and sales representatives on issues relating to marketing, metadata, and project management within the book publishing industry. He has served on the boards of the Association of Canadian Publishers (ACP), the Book Publishers Association of Alberta (BPAA), Pubwest (USA), and is a member of the College of Fellows for the Royal Canadian Geographic Society. He is currently the President of the Association of Book Publishers of British Columbia (Books BC).
As the executive director of Magazine Association of BC since 2011, Sylvia Skene advocates for greater appreciation and support of the magazine industry at local, provincial and federal levels. As internship coordinator, Sylvia also supports programs such as the internship subsidy program, and co-partnering a survey report with the Alberta Magazine Publishers Association and Zenev and Associates in 2021 on the state of diversity, inclusion and equity in the Canadian magazine industry. In her previous career, Sylvia worked as a library assistant and technician, mostly in media, and wrote a humorous advice column for library technicians.
Serving as Hemlock’s President since 2012 and Chief Executive Officer in 2021, Richard Kouwenhoven oversees the strategic direction and growth of Hemlock and its subsidiary organizations. Richard has 35+ years of hands-on print industry experience in a number of roles, from production to department leadership and for the past 15 years as a Senior Executive within the organization. A second-generation family member in the business, Richard is guided by the values that are the foundation of Hemlock’s success since the company's founding in 1968.