20th Anniversary Spotlight: Kathryn Mockler
Our 20th-anniversary celebrations continue with another Author Spotlight interview. Today, we’re shining a light on Kathryn Mockler. We have had the pleasure of publishing Kathryn’s brilliant literary fiction collection Anecdotes. It has been so lovely developing a friendship with Kathryn while getting to work with her over the last few years. Her book has garnered so much well-deserved attention and acclaim from prizes like the Tillium and Betsy Warland Between Genres Awards.
In our Q&A with Kathryn, she shares what it means to be part of the Book*hug author family, highlights a title by fellow Book*hug author Jacob Wren that has left a lasting impression on her, and reflects on independent publishing vs publishing conglomerates. Happy reading!
What does being part of the Book*hug author family mean to you? Feel free to share an anecdote, reflection, or backstory about your publishing experience.
I love the writing that Book*hug publishes, and I respect their willingness to select work that takes creative risks —particularly translations, hybrid works, and political writing. I’m thinking of Céline Huyghebaert’s hybrid book Remnants (translated into English by Aleshia Jensen); Catherine Fatima’s raw and edgy novel Sludge Utopia; and Shani Mootoo’s innovative approaches to poetic style and form in Oh Witness Day!
Jay and Hazel are fiercely supportive of their authors and do everything they can to help their books succeed once they are published. It’s not surprising that so many of their titles show up on award lists.
As a Book*hug author, I cherished the creative freedom that I was afforded to produce an unusual story collection. I also loved that Malcolm Sutton (author of Job Shadowing —another Book*hug title) not only edited Anecdotes but also designed the book and illustrated the cover! Because of this I ended up with a book design I absolutely love and a cover illustration I never could have imagined. Some people think the maxi pad was my idea. It was not! Likely internalized period shame prevented me from coming up with that one. But I’m so happy that Malcolm suggested it and created such a stunning cover.
Can you share another title from the Book*hug catalogue that has left a lasting impression on you as a reader? Tell us about a title by another Book*hug author that has been a touchstone book for you, one that you found meaningful, interesting, or simply loved. Bonus points if you also send a photo of you holding the book you wish to shine a special light on.
“What we don’t want to look at, we think we don’t have to deal with, and then it owns us completely.” —from Rich and Poor by Jacob Wren
The above quote is one of my favourite lines from Jacob Wren’s 2016 novel, Rich and Poor, a fable about a classical pianist turned dishwasher who schemes to kill a billionaire. The story is told from the point of view of both the aspiring assassin and the billionaire, which makes for a fun and poignant revenge fantasy that’s particularly relevant during this moment of obscene billionaire greed.
BONUS QUESTION: When we see more large publisher consolidations and huge conglomerates dominating the marketplace, what does it mean to you to be published by an independent publisher like Book*hug Press?
It means a lot to work with publishers with whom I share values on a range of issues. Given the state of the world, conglomerates do not interest me as I’m sure I do not interest them. I am so grateful that independent publishers like Book*hug exist. It makes me want to do everything I can to help support the work they do, so they keep publishing cool books.
