Long-Time Talonbooks Owner and Publisher Karl Siegler Made Member of Order of Canada

!!! Former Talonbooks publisher Karl Siegler, editor/publisher of five of my poetry collections--The Richard Brautigan Ahhhhhhhhhhh (1999), harvest, a book of signifiers (2001), what’s left (2004), gifts (2009) and Glengarry (2011)--is now a Member of the Order of Canada! Well deserved, and congratulations! As the Talonbooks website writes:

Karl Siegler, long-time publisher of Talonbooks, has been made a member of the Order of Canada for his “tireless promotion of Canada’s small publishing houses and for his efforts to safeguard their interests and welfare.” We at Talonbooks couldn’t be more pleased at this appointment. Congratulations to Karl!

Siegler and his wife, Christy, owned and operated Talonbooks from 1974 until 2007. Karl served as publisher and editor-in-chief, and Christy managed production and administration. Together they developed the diverse list that brought Talon to the forefront of Canadian literary publishing. Karl also lobbied on behalf of Canadian publishers for many years, participating in discourses surrounding policy and industry practice. Karl and Christy were celebrated by new owners Kevin and Vicki Williams, and many authors and friends, at a farewell bash in September, 2011, as they retired. The Sieglers now live in Powell River, British Columbia.

Established in 1967, the Order of Canada is the cornerstone of the Canadian Honours System, and recognizes outstanding achievement, dedication to the community and service to Canada. The Order recognizes people in all sectors of Canadian society and 6,000 people in total have been invested in the Order. All Canadians, except for federal and provincial politicians and judges still in office, are eligible. Levels of appointment are member, officer and companion.

For more on this year’s Order of Canada appointees, see the Vancouver Sun, cbc.ca, or the Governor General’s news release itself.