From Our Editors, Fall 2020

Back in the spring, when the pandemic was still new, we were all struck by the sudden change taking place in our little literary world. We are no strangers to the ebbs and flows of the publishing industry, but as we all know, this was entirely different. Zoom became our communal venue as events were cancelled, pushed forward and adapted, publication dates were changed, and publishers and booksellers were scrambling to find creative ways to persevere through significant financial losses.

Now in the fall, COVID-19 has become a household term, and we’re struck anew by the resilience of book people in Hamilton and all over the country. From home delivery to curbside pickup, from online book launches to festivals, the literary community has found ways to continue to talk about and share our enthusiasm for all things books. Times are tough, but the ways we are finding to continue to support each other gives us hope for the future of literature and literary criticism post-COVID.

This season, it isn’t just the leaves that are changing. The Hamilton Review of Books is saying goodbye to two of our senior editors, Sally Cooper and Krista Foss, who have both done wonderful work for us these past years. They have helped shape our publication through their immense creativity, innovative ideas, and considerable work building relationships with our contributors. Join us in wishing Sally and Krista the best in their future endeavours!

As we continue to embrace necessary change this year, we are using our voice to share an important open call with our valued readers. The HRB is a publication that strives for inclusion in all that we do; we are recommitting ourselves to building an equitable, diverse, and inclusive journal. If you have a strong knowledge of and interest in the Canadian literary scene, are worried about book coverage disappearing in Canadian media and want to do something about it, now is your chance to join the Hamilton Review of Books’ editorial board. Follow this link for more information. (update: for now we have filled positions, but please watch for future opportunities!)

And we’d like to give a shoutout of appreciation to our HRB Page Turners for their ongoing support. If you’d like to know more about this program, please follow this link.

Until next time, wear a mask, wash your hands, and keep reading!

– Eds.