One of our priorities is to support Indigenous voices in Canada. In 2019, for the second year, we were a major supporter of the Indigenous Voices Awards, broadening our support to help establish full-day mentorship-based activities that would cultivate relationships among emerging and established Indigenous writers and provide practical tools for navigating the publishing industry. Additionally, for National Indigenous History Month in June, we focused on sharing the work of our published Indigenous writers with a Celebrate Indigenous Voices audiobook campaign across social media and podcast advertising. We are proud once again to support the third annual Indigenous Voices Awards in 2020. To learn more, click here and here.
Regions: CANADA
Employee-Led Salon Series for Women
Women Talking is a unique salon-style series run by an employee-led team that aims to empower female-identifying colleagues through access to peer support and advice, learning and growth opportunities, and guest speakers. Since launching in 2018, we have hosted quarterly events, including author conversations (highlights include appearances by Dionne Brand and Carmen Maria Machado), goal-setting workshops, and book discussions. To celebrate International Women’s Day 2019, Women Talking highlighted women employees’ favorite books by and for women and led employee fundraising efforts in support of Sistering, a multiservice agency for at-risk women in Toronto who are facing housing insecurity.
For International Women’s Day 2020, Women Talking presented an in-house author panel on the global IWD 2020 campaign theme, #EachforEqual, which included Celina Caesar-Chavannes, Tara Henley, and Anna Mehler Paperny. In addition, our Social and Charitable Committee led a book sale and donation drive of clothing and menstrual products for Sistering, as well as put together a Women’s Library consisting of donated titles nominated by employees. To learn more about Sistering, click here.