Executive director Margaret Reynolds of the Association of Book Publishers of British Columbia announced her retirement last Wednesday (June 20). Officially stepping down on October 7, Reynolds will be capping off 28 years in the B.C. publishing industry and a storied career in advancing B.C. literature.

Reynolds' retirement is announced on the heels of her winning the Association of Canadian Publishers’ prestigious President’s Award, given out at a Winnipeg banquet on June 9.

“I have been so blessed to have spent most of my career working with BC’s book publishers,” Reynold said in a news release. “They work in a complex environment with small returns, they are hugely entrepreneurial, and they are great fun.”

The ABPBC, however, had been looking for a new executive director since this February. The news release detailing Reynolds' retirement and past accomplishments also revealed her replacement to be Heidi Waechatler, the current managing editor at Toronto’s Coach House Books, an independent Canadian publisher.

The choice echoes Reynolds description of the B.C. publishing industry as being mainly small, independent houses.

Despite being in the business for 50 years, Coach House enjoyed a surge of attention last year after winning the illustrious Giller Prize for André Alexis’ acclaimed novel Fifteen Dogs.

“Margaret is a tough act to follow,” Waechtler said in the release. “I look forward to working with the board and membership to continue navigating the ever-changing publishing climate.”

Waechtler begins her new role on September 6. A party celebrating Reynolds’ years of service will be held in Vancouver in early October.

You can learn more about the ABPBC at its website.