Wolsak & Wynn Anounces Liz Howard Joining Buckrider Books Editorial Board

For Immediate Release

Wolsak and Wynn is happy to announce that award-winning poet Liz Howard will be joining the Buckrider Books editorial board, to work with senior editor Paul Vermeersch to acquire and edit titles for the Buckrider Books imprint.

Liz Howard’s first book of poems, Infinite Citizen of the Shaking Tent, won the 2016 Griffin Poetry Prize and was also a finalist for the 2015 Governor General’s Literary Award for Poetry.

Paul Vermeersch said, “I am delighted to welcome Liz Howard to the Buckrider Books editorial board. I’ve long admired her poetry and believe she will bring dynamic new voices to the press.”

The Buckrider Books editorial board was put in place in 2017. It was the idea of senior editor Paul Vermeersch, who hoped to broaden the reach of the press and help address the lack of diversity in the publishing industry. The first members of the board consisted of Jordan Abel, Jen Sookfong Lee and Canisia Lubrin. Both Jen Sookfong Lee and Canisia Lubrin have recently left the board to move on to other opportunities in publishing.

Liz Howard said, “It is a great honour to take up the poetry helm left by the incomparable Canisia Lubrin and I look forward to championing new voices with conviviality, rigour and passionate enthusiasm. Great thanks, chi-miigwetch to Noelle Allen and Paul Vermeersh for welcoming me aboard.”

Publisher Noelle Allen said, “It’s been wonderful working with such talented writers and editors as Canisia Lubrin and Jen Sookfong Lee and we are delighted to see them moving on to editorial positions with greater reach within our industry. I feel that we achieved remarkable things with them at the press; publishing books we would likely never have seen without their keen editorial eyes. We are happy to see their influence spread out into the Canadian industry. I am looking forward to working with the equally talented Liz Howard, and I know she will bring fresh insight to our publishing program.”

More about Liz Howard:

Liz Howard’s first book of poems, Infinite Citizen of the Shaking Tent, won the 2016 Griffin Poetry Prize, the first time a debut collection has won the award. The book was also a finalist for the 2015 Governor General’s Literary Award for Poetry. Born and raised in Treaty 9 territory in northern Ontario, Howard received an Honours Bachelor of Science with High Distinction from the University of Toronto. Her poetry has appeared in Canadian literary journals such as The Capilano Review, The Puritan and Matrix Magazine. Her chapbook Skullambient was a finalist for the 2012 bpNichol Chapbook Award. She recently completed an MFA in Creative Writing