Fitzhenry & Whiteside
Encyclopedia
Fitzhenry & Whiteside is a Canadian
book publishing company, located in Markham, Ontario
. It publishes trade titles in children's and young adult fiction, textbooks, reference, history, biography, photography, sports and poetry.
The company was founded in 1966 by two former employees of other publishing houses: Robert I. Fitzhenry and Cecil L. Whiteside. It began as a distributor in Canada for American publishers such as Harper & Row, then started publishing reference works and nonfiction. Their lineup still includes such titles as the Lemon-Aid car guides and The Fitzhenry and Whiteside Book of Canadian Facts and Dates.. In the 1990s and 2000s, the company bought several other Canadian publishers, including Fifth House, Trifolium Books, Stoddart Kids and Red Deer Press
, expanding their repertoire to include children's fiction and science fiction. The company is privately owned by Fitzhenry's family.
When GriefCom reached FW by phone call on 2011-9-9, FW claimed to be shocked that GriefCom/Durgin believe the novel was not available through regular trader channels, and that they indicated they would provide proof of availability through regular trade channels. On 2001-9-23, 13 days later, FW had not sent any proof. On 2011-10-3 GriefCom gives FW 48 hours to either revert the rights or provide the promised proof of the book’s availability via regular trade channels, with the warning that further steps would be taken if neither was done.
described FW's actions:
"Durgin's publisher is most certainly not keeping her book in print per the terms of their contract. The fact that they've demanded that Durgin buy back their leftover copies of book as a condition of holding up their end of the contract is without precedent -- indeed, it's a breathtaking violation of publishing norms, the sort of thing you're more likely to encounter from ripoff vanity publishers and not a respected house..." "Writer Beware indeed".
:
In addition, the company's books and authors have collected many other awards over the years.
Authors published with Fitzhenry & Whiteside include Alice Munro
(Friend of My Youth), Bernice Thurman Hunter
(The Girls They Left Behind; Red Maple Award shortlist 2007) and David Suzuki
(Looking at… series).
Fifth House is a Canadian
book publishing company, located in Markham, Ontario
which is a subsidiary of Fitzhenry & Whiteside. It publishes trade titles in history, native studies, photography, science & nature, and social science.
Fifth House has won Alberta Publisher of the Year two years running in 2007 and 2008.
Fifth House books have won many Saskatchewan and Alberta Book prizes and awards from the Canadian Authors Association as well as two gold awards from Cuisine Canada for High Plains: The Joy of Alberta Cuisine by Cinda Chavich.
Two titles, Lisa Christensen’s A Hiker’s Guide to Art in the Canadian Rockies and Brian Brennan’s Scoundrels & Scallywags, have been shortlisted for the Grant MacEwan Literary Award, and in 2004 Brian became the first recipient of the Dave Greber Award for freelance writing for Romancing the Rockies.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
book publishing company, located in Markham, Ontario
Markham, Ontario
Markham is a town in the Regional Municipality of York, located within the Greater Toronto Area of Southern Ontario, Canada. The population was 261,573 at the 2006 Canadian census...
. It publishes trade titles in children's and young adult fiction, textbooks, reference, history, biography, photography, sports and poetry.
The company was founded in 1966 by two former employees of other publishing houses: Robert I. Fitzhenry and Cecil L. Whiteside. It began as a distributor in Canada for American publishers such as Harper & Row, then started publishing reference works and nonfiction. Their lineup still includes such titles as the Lemon-Aid car guides and The Fitzhenry and Whiteside Book of Canadian Facts and Dates.. In the 1990s and 2000s, the company bought several other Canadian publishers, including Fifth House, Trifolium Books, Stoddart Kids and Red Deer Press
Red Deer Press
Red Deer Press is a Canadian book publishing company located in Markham, Ontario. It publishes trade titles in children's fiction, literary fiction, poetry, drama, belles-lettres, and creative nonfiction focusing on the Canadian prairies....
, expanding their repertoire to include children's fiction and science fiction. The company is privately owned by Fitzhenry's family.
Refusal To Return Author's Right's As Required By Contract
In April of 2010 author Doranna Durgin, as required by the contracts signed between Durgin and F&W, requested the reversion of the publishing rights to Ms. Durgin's novel; "Dun Lady's Jess". For the next eighteen months FW largely ignored the request and simply refused to respond, except to say: "This book is in stock, on sale on our website, it continues to sell albeit in lesser quantities. We have some 1,600 in stock with no reason to revert rights.”. This reply, in and of itself, shows that F&W had not complied with the requirements to maintain possession of the publishing rights they had licensed from Durgin. The contractual requirements that F&W failed to meet were: #1 To keep the novel in print and available for purchase *through regular trade channels*. Durgin's research showed the novel was not available through regular trade channels.Buy All Our Inventory First.
FW has said that if Durgin herself, were to purchase the Two Hundred Twenty Eight Years worth of printed copies which FW has warehoused, they would then return her rights.GriefCom asked to intercede
Durgin contacted the Science Fiction Writers of America's Grievance Committee and asked them to intercede with FW on her behalf.When GriefCom reached FW by phone call on 2011-9-9, FW claimed to be shocked that GriefCom/Durgin believe the novel was not available through regular trader channels, and that they indicated they would provide proof of availability through regular trade channels. On 2001-9-23, 13 days later, FW had not sent any proof. On 2011-10-3 GriefCom gives FW 48 hours to either revert the rights or provide the promised proof of the book’s availability via regular trade channels, with the warning that further steps would be taken if neither was done.
Anonymous threats
The morning after GriefCom contacted FW, GriefCom reportedly received a phone call from an unidentified woman who spoke in a raised voice, who accused GriefCom of harassing FW. The anonymous caller is said to have claimed "There is no reversion of rights here,” and then stated she would call prominent Canadian writers to report GriefCom/Durgin.Author and Columnist Cory Doctorow of BoingBoing publishes commentary
An article by Famed author and BoingBoing columnist Cory DoctorowCory Doctorow
Cory Efram Doctorow is a Canadian-British blogger, journalist, and science fiction author who serves as co-editor of the blog Boing Boing. He is an activist in favour of liberalising copyright laws and a proponent of the Creative Commons organization, using some of their licences for his books...
described FW's actions:
"Durgin's publisher is most certainly not keeping her book in print per the terms of their contract. The fact that they've demanded that Durgin buy back their leftover copies of book as a condition of holding up their end of the contract is without precedent -- indeed, it's a breathtaking violation of publishing norms, the sort of thing you're more likely to encounter from ripoff vanity publishers and not a respected house..." "Writer Beware indeed".
Books that have won Awards
Four Fitzhenry & Whiteside titles have won Governor General's Literary AwardsGovernor General's Award
The Governor General's Awards are a collection of awards presented by the Governor General of Canada, marking distinction in a number of academic, artistic and social fields. The first was conceived in 1937 by Lord Tweedsmuir, a prolific author of fiction and non-fiction who created the Governor...
:
- Northrop Frye on Shakespeare by Northrop FryeNorthrop FryeHerman Northrop Frye, was a Canadian literary critic and literary theorist, considered one of the most influential of the 20th century....
in 1986, - A Screaming Kind of Day by Rachna GilmoreRachna GilmoreRachna Gilmore is an award-winning children's writer. Her picture book A Screaming Kind of Day won the 1999 Governor General's Award for Children's Literature.- Background :...
in 1999, - Processional by Anne ComptonAnne Compton-Biography:Compton was born and raised in the farming community of Bangor, Prince Edward Island. She received her Bachelor of Arts from the University of Prince Edward Island, her Masters from York University and finally her PhD from the University of New Brunswick. Dr...
in 2005 and - Greener Grass: The Famine Years by Caroline PignatCaroline PignatCaroline Pignat is an Irish Canadian author and English teacher.Pignat a graduate of Ottawa University. Her work has been published in magazines, including Highlights for Children, Clubhouse and Clubhouse Jr., Storyteller, Guideposts, Guideposts for Kids, Living Faith for Kids, Capital Parent, The...
in 2009.
In addition, the company's books and authors have collected many other awards over the years.
Authors published with Fitzhenry & Whiteside include Alice Munro
Alice Munro
Alice Ann Munro is a Canadian short-story writer, the winner of the 2009 Man Booker International Prize for her lifetime body of work, a three-time winner of Canada's Governor General's Award for fiction, and a perennial contender for the Nobel Prize...
(Friend of My Youth), Bernice Thurman Hunter
Bernice Thurman Hunter
Bernice Thurman Hunter, was a Canadian children's author.Born in Toronto, Ontario, Hunter spent her adult years as an Eaton's employee, and did not publish her first book, That Scatterbrain Booky , until she was a grandmother...
(The Girls They Left Behind; Red Maple Award shortlist 2007) and David Suzuki
David Suzuki
David Suzuki, CC, OBC is a Canadian academic, science broadcaster and environmental activist. Suzuki earned a Ph.D in zoology from the University of Chicago in 1961, and was a professor in the genetics department of the University of British Columbia from 1963 until his retirement in 2001...
(Looking at… series).
Fifth House is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
book publishing company, located in Markham, Ontario
Markham, Ontario
Markham is a town in the Regional Municipality of York, located within the Greater Toronto Area of Southern Ontario, Canada. The population was 261,573 at the 2006 Canadian census...
which is a subsidiary of Fitzhenry & Whiteside. It publishes trade titles in history, native studies, photography, science & nature, and social science.
Fifth House has won Alberta Publisher of the Year two years running in 2007 and 2008.
Fifth House books have won many Saskatchewan and Alberta Book prizes and awards from the Canadian Authors Association as well as two gold awards from Cuisine Canada for High Plains: The Joy of Alberta Cuisine by Cinda Chavich.
Two titles, Lisa Christensen’s A Hiker’s Guide to Art in the Canadian Rockies and Brian Brennan’s Scoundrels & Scallywags, have been shortlisted for the Grant MacEwan Literary Award, and in 2004 Brian became the first recipient of the Dave Greber Award for freelance writing for Romancing the Rockies.