adondertman

Personal Information

Full Name

Anne Dondertman

Bio

Anne Dondertman is the Assistant Director of the Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, at the University of Toronto, with an interest in Canadian literature, and Victoriana. She is currently President of the Bibliographical Society of Canada.

Affiliation

University of Toronto

Country

Canada

Personal Statement About Topic

The Toronto Small Press Book Fair

The literary landmarks and highpoints of any age, as identified by contemporaries and as subsequently fixed in the canon, are valued and preserved by individuals and institutions alike. However these few items are the tip of the iceberg in terms of the overall literary production in any given era. The identification and preservation of the ouput of small independent presses during a particular time and place, much of which will inevitably be lost over time, rounds out the picture of the literary scene by making us aware of the wider context and the incredible depth and breadth of the literary activity taking place. The small press is not only to be valued as a mechanism for nurturing the few literary stars which emerge from that environment, but as a rich area of interest in its own right.

Case studies by Anne Dondertman

Case study :

J. Macdonald Oxley’s Record of Literary Achievement

J. Macdonald Oxley was one of the best known Canadian authors of his time, but few people today have heard of Bert Lloyd’s Boyhood. In his diary we learn that it was reviewed in 15 periodicals and newspapers upon its publication in 1889, and that he was paid $175 for it by his American publisher.

Case study :

The Toronto Small Press Book Fair

The Toronto Small Press Book Fair (TSPBF) is one of Canada’s most important venues for small literary presses, having exhibited and provided a distribution network for the imprints of hundreds of publishers since its inception in the late 1980s.