Harper Government Supports Coteau Books

REGINA, February 3, 2012 - Coteau Books will continue offering a rich selection of Canadian-authored books to readers everywhere, thanks to an investment by the Government of Canada. This was announced today by Ray Boughen, Member of Parliament (Palliser), on behalf of the Honourable James Moore, Minister of Canadian Heritage and Official Languages.

Coteau Books publishes and presents Canadian literary writings to the world market, with an emphasis on Saskatchewan and prairie writers. It also presents new voices and works of literature by developing new writers and furthering the careers of established writers.

"Our Government received a strong mandate from Canadians to invest in organizations like Coteau Books," said Minister Moore. "By supporting this publisher, our Government is delivering on its commitment to strengthen our economy and support our arts, culture, and heritage."

"We are pleased to support the efforts made by Coteau Books to produce, market, and distribute Canadian-authored books," said Mr. Boughen. "I encourage them to continue offering readers a wide range of books that reflect the creativity of our country’s authors."

"Support from the Government of Canada is vital for our publishing program," said Geoffrey Ursell, President and Publisher of Coteau Books. "Winning three Governor General’s Awards—in poetry, fiction, and children’s literature—as well as numerous other awards and nominations, across the country and internationally, testifies to the quality of our books. The very existence of those books is founded on this kind of ongoing and most welcome assistance."

The Government of Canada has provided funding of $46,114 through the Support for Publishers stream of the Canada Book Fund (CBF). The principal objective of the CBF is to ensure access to a diverse range of Canadian-authored books in Canada and abroad. The Fund seeks to achieve this objective by fostering a strong Canadian book industry that publishes and markets Canadian-authored books.

For more information (media only), please contact:

Sébastien Gariépy
Press Secretary
Office of the Minister of Canadian Heritage
and Official Languages
819-997-7788

Media Relations
Canadian Heritage
819-994-9101
1-866-569-6155
media@pch.gc.ca