For Immediate Release
May 11, 2021
The pandemic disrupted the longstanding annual calendar of in-person events that serve the book publishing industry. Edelweiss+ by Above the Treeline is responding to this gap by launching Edelweiss Bookfest, an online festival designed to act as a gathering place for the industry. Building on the company’’ popular platform for book sales and marketing, the event, held between June 8–9, will have virtual booths for live meetings, author events, and downloadable resources.
“When it comes to comparing strategies for driving sales with colleagues, nothing beats having a face-to-face conversation, even when your faces are on a screen,” says Jane Kelly, Director of Sales and Marketing at University of Toronto Press (UTP). Kelly also looks forward to unveiling some exciting new additions to UTP’s catalogue.
“Most of the independent booksellers, librarians, and book buyers who embraced the arrival of our trade imprint, Aevo UTP, last year are taking part in Edelweiss Bookfest,” says Kelly. “Their support was instrumental to the success of our first foray into trade non-fiction. We also drew on their feedback as we put together the next Aevo UTP season.”
Written by leading experts for intellectually curious readers, Aevo UTP books delve into the major issues facing today’s world. Last year’s list included David Miller’s bestselling take on how cities are leading the global battle against climate change, Solved, and Sam Twyford-Moore’s incisive combination of memoir and the cultural history of mania, The Rapids.
Kelly and her team are starting to present the new Aevo UTP titles to book buyers. “There’s already considerable excitement for Canadian sports legend Bruce Kidd’s memoir, A Runner’s Journey,” she says. As Kidd recounts his trajectory from being a teenaged track star competing at the Olympics to an integral part of human rights campaigns such as the fight to end Apartheid in South Africa, he explores how sport has changed over the past 70 years. (September 2021)
In Damaged, veteran psychiatrists Robert Maunder and Jonathan Hunter argue that the medical system would not only be more compassionate but more effective if practitioners recognized that trauma impacts all of our health. Maunder candidly shares a heartrending story about his work with a challenging patient over several decades. This timely book offers rare firsthand insights into how a patient’s childhood trauma can influence the lives of the doctors who care for them. (October 2021)
A forthcoming title from Rotman-UTP, the Press’s business imprint, is also receiving interest from booksellers of all stripes. The public is increasingly interested in where corporate leaders like Elon Musk stand on current issues and community debate. In Decoding CEO-Speak, Russell Craig and Joel Amernic conduct close readings of the spoken and written language of CEOs to reveal its manipulative, inspiring, and disturbing characteristics. (October 2021)
“I look forward to sharing these books with our colleagues at Edelweiss Bookfest,” says Kelly. “After such a challenging year for everyone in the book business, it’ll also be wonderful to hear how they plan to re-open and rejuvenate their brick and mortar stores and libraries.”
ABOUT UTP
University of Toronto Press (UTP) has published landmark scholarship since 1901. One of the largest university presses in North America, UTP releases over 180 new scholarly, course, and general interest books in both print and ebook format and 47 journals each year. In addition, UTP also operates UTP Distribution through warehouses in Toronto and Buffalo along with campus bookstores across the University of Toronto. For more information, visit utorontopress.com.
MEDIA CONTACT
Chris Reed, Publicist, University of Toronto Press
creed@utorontopress.com | 416-978-2239 ext. 2248