Arsenal Pulp Press

Last updated
Arsenal Pulp Press
Founded1971
Country of origin Canada
Headquarters location Vancouver, British Columbia
Distribution University of Toronto Press Distribution (Canada)
Consortium (US)
Turnaround Publisher Services (Europe)
New South Books (Australasia) [1]
Publication types books
Official website www.arsenalpulp.com

Arsenal Pulp Press is a Canadian independent book publishing company, based in Vancouver, British Columbia. The company publishes a broad range of titles in both fiction and non-fiction, focusing primarily on underrepresented genres such as underground literature, LGBT literature, multiracial literature, graphic novels, visual arts, progressive and activist non-fiction and works in translation, and is noted for founding the annual Three-Day Novel Contest.

Contents

History

Established in 1971, [2] Scriveners' Pulp Press Limited was one of several ventures in alternative arts and literature of the early 1970s. In addition to fiction, poetry and drama titles the press issued a twice-monthly literary magazine, Three-Cent Pulp, from 1972 to 1978, which introduced a loyal readership to new writing and graphics from around the world. [3] In 1977 Pulp held its first Three-Day Novel Contest, [4] a literary marathon held over the Labour Day weekend during which registered contestants attempted to write a novel in three days. Pulp Press sponsored the event until 1991.

The press is located in Vancouver, BC in the city's historic Chinatown district, and employs a full-time staff of six. [5] In 2012 it had five employees. Its main specialty is LGBT literature and nonfiction; as of 2012 it no longer specialized in comics. [6]

Arsenal Pulp Press publisher Brian Lam (co-owner of the press since 1992) [7] has been honoured with multiple professional awards for his significant contributions to LGBTQ2s+ and BIPOC publishing in North America. In 2014 he won the Community Builder Award from the Asian Canadian Writers' Workshop. [8] In 2018, Lam received the Ivy Award from the Toronto International Festival of Authors. [9] In 2020, Lam was awarded the Lambda Literary Publishing Professional Award. [10]

In the fall of 2011 Arsenal Pulp Press celebrated its 40th anniversary. [11] The press celebrated its 50th anniversary in the fall of 2021. [12]

In March 2021, Arsenal Pulp Press became the first Canadian small press publisher to have two books make the finale of CBC Canada Reads, Canada's national "battle of the books." The novel Jonny Appleseed by Joshua Whitehead, championed by actor Kawennáhere Devery Jacobs won the competition, beating the novel Butter Honey Pig Bread by Francesca Ekwuyasi, defended by celebrity chef Roger Mooking.

Writers

Authors who have been published by Arsenal Pulp include:

The company has also published art books by or on the work of Stan Douglas, [13] Peter Flinsch, [14] Attila Richard Lukacs, [15] and Ralf König. [16]

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<i>Sub Rosa</i> (novel) 2010 queer novel by Canadian Amber Dawn

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Francesca Ekwuyasi is a Nigerian Canadian writer and artist. She is most noted for her debut novel Butter Honey Pig Bread, which was published in 2020.

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<i>Butter Honey Pig Bread</i> 2020 novel by Francesca Ekwuyasi

Butter Honey Pig Bread is Francesca Ekwuyasi's debut novel, published on September 3, 2020 by Arsenal Pulp Press.

References

  1. "Ordering Info". Archived from the original on 2017-09-18. Retrieved 2017-09-18.
  2. "Small, Independent Arsenal Pulp Press Publishes the Big Voices of Communities". 24 January 2017.
  3. "Arsenal Pulp Press fonds - RBSC / OSC Archives".
  4. "Would-be writers hide away for Three-Day Novel Contest - The Globe and Mail". The Globe and Mail. September 2006.
  5. "About Arsenal Pulp Press | Arsenal Pulp Press".
  6. Kellogg, Carolyn (2013-08-21). "'Blue Is the Warmest Color' gets NC-17 rating; book due in September". Los Angeles Times . Retrieved 2022-09-11. - See version at Baltimore Sun
  7. "5 Questions with Publishing Professional Award Winner Brian Lam". 27 May 2020.
  8. "Arsenal Pulp Press publisher Brian Lam honoured at closing gala of literASIAN festival". 25 November 2013.
  9. @ReadLocalBC (22 October 2018). "Huge congratulations to @arsenalpulp publisher Brian Lam! Well deserved. "Arsenal Pulp Press publisher Brian Lam…" (Tweet) via Twitter.
  10. "5 Questions with Publishing Professional Award Winner Brian Lam". 27 May 2020.
  11. "Art Threat | Thomas Waugh flirts with fantasy while fucking reality". Archived from the original on 2017-03-21. Retrieved 2017-03-20.
  12. "The Care We Dream of with Zena Sharman, Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha, jaye simpson, and Joshua Wales – Vancouver Writers Fest".
  13. "Abbott & Cordova: Historical Conversations | Vancouver Sun".
  14. "StackPath".
  15. "'Polaroids' by Attila Richard Lukacs and Michael Morris". 3 August 2011.
  16. "Ralf König: Biography in english".