Literary Arts - Red Deer Press

In 1975, there was a small group of English professors at Red Deer College who wanted to publish one or two volumes of poetry a year. From this vision, the Red Deer Press was established and grew from an organization producing a single title a year, to producing 16 to 20 new titles and 10 to 12 reprints annually. The credit for this growth may in part be granted to Tim Wynne-Jones (the former series editor) and Peter Caver, the current editor (2004). International rights deals in places such as the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark, Germany, China and Quebec may be attributed to the efforts of the two editors.

Described at times as a "guerilla publisher," in 1985, the Red Deer Press shifted to publish a more diverse array of titles. The main goal of the company was to promote the development of literature and culture in Western Canada and internationally. Despite shortages in funds, the company took risks publishing books often largely ignored by small publishers.

The Red Deer Press became an affiliate to the University of Calgary in July of 2002. To this day, the array of content within the published titles is broad and varied, ranging from fiction and poetry from the four western provinces, to illustrated natural history books for young adults. The company tries to publish an even number of literary, children's and general trade books. The Red Deer Press operates both a national market

, focusing on Western Canadian garden, home and tourist information and an international market, which includes Northern Lights Books for Children, Northern Lights Young Novels, Discovery Books and Roundup Books. Books published by the Red Deer Press have included best sellers and award winners, such as West of January by Dave Duncan and A Fine Daughter by Catherine Simmons Niven.