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Call Number: Mss 117, Pc 119, Tc 81 (A.90-16, A.93-68)
Title: NeWest Press fonds.
Dates: 1975-1993.
Extent: 8.4 m of textual records and other material.
Administrative history: NeWest Press, based in Edmonton, Alberta, was established in 1977 by George Melnyk to publish serious literature and non-fiction from Western Canada. A non-profit corporation, NeWest is now owned and directed by a board of nineteen writers, academics, and editors from the four western provinces. In November of 1989, the Press published its 75th book, The Architecture of Douglas Cardinal. NeWest publishes approximately eight books a year. Areas of interest are literary criticism, drama, poetry, history, politics, and fiction. The publication of first-time novels and short story collections by talented regional authors is an important part of NeWest's mandate. NeWest also publishes several series. The Western Canadian Literary Documents Series has produced critical collections on Rudy Wiebe, Robert Kroetsch, Margaret Lawrence, Henry Kreisel, and Frederick Philip Grove. Some of its best sellers have been A Nest of Singing Birds by Susan Haley (1984), which was filmed for television by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, Vanished in Darkness: An Auschwitz Memoir by Eva Brewster, and Alberta Bound: Thirty Stories by Alberta Writers, ed. by Fred Stenson (1986).
Custodial history: The initial accession of the fonds (A.90-16) was purchased by the University of Manitoba Libraries in March 1990 and the second accession (A.93-68) was purchased in August 1993.
Scope and content: The fonds consists of the company's administrative records, including correspondence of and about the various artists, and 30 original manuscripts published by NeWest Press. Many of the manuscripts are accompanied by layout sheets, illustrations, photographs, galley pages, and appendices. Bank records, letters to libraries and the press, board of directors' minutes, and balance sheets are also included. The collection also contains cassette tapes of interviews featuring, among others, Andrew Suknaski, Rudy Wiebe, and G. Melnyk. NeWest Review correspondence is also included as well as information on the NeWest Institute Form of the Arts, "Northern Lights" information catalogues, press releases, and announcements. The photograph collection consists of 103 photographs. The tape collection consists of 9 audio cassettes.
Restrictions: Some restrictions apply.
Accruals: Additional accruals are expected.
Finding aid: A printed finding aid is available in the Archives reading room and an on-line finding aid is available at the link below: