It was not so long ago that sexism in Canada’s publishing industry held women back professionally. Today, however, women lead the trade and one of Canada’s largest book publishing agencies, Penguin Random House, has their first female CEO, Kristin Cochrane. Women’s progress in publishing was made possible by change from within as more women entered the industry and became trailblazers for others. Today, women continue to sustain long and meaningful careers as publishers and editors, yet there have been few first-hand accounts of their historical participation in publishing.

In Toronto Trailblazers  (University of Toronto Press), author Ruth Panofsky illuminates this hidden history with a narrative of vision, determination, and resilience. The book focuses on how seven women – Irene Clarke, Eleanor Harman, Frances Halpenny, Sybil Hutchinson, Claire Pratt, Anna Porter, and Bella Pomer – persevered and overcame obstacles to eventually change the shape of Canadian publishing. Panofsky – a successful writer and Professor of English Literature at Ryerson – draws on her expertise in Authorship Studies, Canadian Publishing History, Textual Scholarship, and Canadian Jewish Literature, to weave this textured and rich history. Drawing on a range of archival material, Panofsky probes the complex lives of publishing’s leading female figures.

Toronto Trailblazers deals with how seven women rose to prominence while advancing women’s writing and rights, despite the negative attitudes towards women at large, especially in their professions. Panofsky’s text is an historical account of publishing and scholarship but it is also a celebration of women’s wisdom and mentorship. It intimately examines the personal objectives of these women to pursue meaningful careers, highlighting how they overcame challenges. Panofsky emphasizes the need for a global publishing history that gives women a place in records alongside men. This book offers one such record.

White Wall Review spoke to Ruth Panofsky about Toronto Trailblazers and the role of women in Canadian publishing.

WWR: In your introduction, you mention how there are few accounts of women in the Canadian publishing industry. What first motivated you to pursue this pressing topic?

RP: Early on in my research career, I learned that women have always been active participants in Canadian publishing. Their contributions, however, were rarely recognized and I felt called to bring their achievements to light.

In 2012, I published a book on the Macmillan Company of Canada, which includes a chapter on editor Ellen Elliott. Elliott was with the company for twenty-seven years and had a profound impact on the firm. The book also profiles Gladys Neale, who was the highly respected head of educational publishing at Macmillan, as well as a number of women manuscript readers, one of whom was the renowned poet Gwendolyn MacEwen.

My work on the women of Macmillan led me to write Toronto Trailblazers. For this project, rather than study an individual firm, I chose to focus on seven women who worked for mainstream publishing companies. This is my first book-length study devoted exclusively to women in publishing.

WWR: Given that the subject of women in Canadian publishing is relatively undocumented, how did you go about your research?

RP: When I decided to try to uncover the stories of women who have worked in the publishing industry, I knew I would have to undertake extensive archival research. Research for Toronto Trailblazerstook me deep into archival holdings at McMaster University, the main repository for Canadian publishers’ archives, as well as the University of Toronto and York University. I visited additional archives in Canada and the United States, where I looked at the papers of editors and publishers, literary agents and authors. I also consulted other primary sources, such as book trade publications and newspapers, and secondary sources, which included scholarly studies of international publishing practices.

WWR: How do you feel the women in your book (Clarke, Harman, Halpenny, Hutchinson, Pratt, Porter, and Pomer) have changed things for future women in the Canadian publishing industry?

The women I profile in Toronto Trailblazersbroke ground by gaining entry into the predominantly male domain of publishing. They went on to become pioneering publishers, executives, and literary agents. They also adapted and refined existing publishing practices, especially in the arena of editing. In addition, they mentored other women who entered the field. That so many women are now thriving in all areas of publishing – and their accomplishments are known – can be traced, in part, to the efforts of the women included my book, as well as so many others who deserve similar attention.

WWR: The inspirational women editors in your book persevered despite facing many obstacles. As a successful writer, were you able to relate to their experiences?

RP: I certainly can relate to the obstacles the women editors faced, and I also know the value of perseverance in facing down those obstacles. Bringing a scholarly book to life, for instance, requires vision, dedication, and stamina. Toronto Trailblazers, like my other projects, underwent significant revision before I felt ready to send it out into the world. Perseverance took me through the various stages of research, writing, and revision that such a book requires.

WWR: The publishing industry has made some major progress, particularly for the benefit of women, but in Toronto Trailblazers, you also explore the ongoing privileges of class and race. How do you see the Canadian publishing industry further progressing, especially when diversity has become imperative?

RP: To more accurately reflect the country’s demographic – and to expand the already rich range of Canadian authors now being published – efforts must be made to increase diversity in the Canadian publishing industry. Since in-house practices determine what gets published, it is essential to be able to draw on a diverse staff with a range of perspectives and experiences.

WWR: At the end of Toronto Trailblazers, you indicate that further research is required to understand the complexities of women’s role in publishing. What research would you like to see conducted, or perhaps a future project for yourself, to continue enriching this diverse topic?

RP: The research possibilities are endless. I see a need to study the rise of literary agents in Canada, most of whom were women; the history of feminist publishing in Canada; the history of small presses run by women, including indigenous and LGBTQ women; and the relationships between women publishers/editors and authors in the current global market for books. My hope is that my work sparks interest and leads to new and exciting projects on the subject of women and publishing.