Literary Press Group appreciates Budget 2024 investment in Canada Book Fund and calls for government action to fulfill permanent funding promise, fix copyright

Creators and publishers must be protected from ongoing, massive, uncompensated copying

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Toronto—April 18, 2024: The Literary Press Group (LPG) welcomes Budget 2024’s investment of $10 million in the Canada Book Fund. The CBF provides critical cultural funding for the creation of Canadian books, and this temporary infusion, delivered over three years, will provide a measure of support to the Canadian book sector.

“We appreciate Budget 2024’s boosted investment in the Canada Book Fund and recognition of the importance of elevating Canadian authors and stories. At the same time, a new, permanent investment is needed to help the Canadian publishing sector sustain itself and grow, which in turn will provide opportunities for writers in all regions of the country,” said Rebecca Rose, chair of the Literary Press Group and publisher of Breakwater Books. “We call on the government to fulfill its longstanding commitment to increase the Canada Book Fund’s permanent budget envelope by 50 percent.”

The Canada Book Fund’s baseline budget envelope has been static for more than 20 years. Its value has eroded by more than half in that time due to inflation, while funding for other cultural industries has increased. Demand for this underfunded program continues to rise as new literary presses seek to establish themselves and existing presses strive to grow their publishing programs—reflecting and amplifying the experiences of multiple communities across Canada.

LPG member publishers do vital cultural work—nurturing diverse voices and styles of writing by Canadian authors; editing, designing, producing, and marketing their books; and getting them into readers’ hands nationally and internationally, despite myriad challenges.

“The Canada Book Fund makes it possible for literary presses to continue publishing Canadian stories, poetry, drama, graphic novels, literary nonfiction, and more,” said Laura Rock Gaughan, executive director of the Literary Press Group. “In a real way, this program preserves space for Canadian literature. It merits a permanently increased base budget, and that’s what the government has promised.”

More work is also needed to fix the severe and ongoing damage caused by our flawed copyright regime. This, too, has been a longstanding government commitment, supported by parliamentary committee reports and members of all parties. It was a commitment in Budget 2022 and in ministerial mandate letters. Over $200 million in lost royalties since 2012 threatens the livelihoods of writers and publishers. The uncompensated copying by educational institutions continues unabated—hundreds of millions of pages per year. This demonstrates a dangerous lack of understanding of how Canadian literature and educational materials are created. And it shows a troubling lack of respect for the ingenuity and labour of creators and publishers, from the very institutions that should most value their books.

“The copyright situation is approaching scandalous,” said Gaughan. “Our copyright regime, outside of Quebec, has become an international embarrassment. It’s long past time for the government to deliver on its copyright promises.”

About the Literary Press Group

Founded in 1975, the LPG is a not-for-profit association that represents Canadian-owned and -operated literary book publishers located across the country. Our members produce books by some of Canada’s most innovative and creative writers, giving readers access to diverse voices that have not been well represented in mainstream publishing. In addition to their cultural contributions, LPG members are small businesses that support local economies through the full range of their business activities, from editorial, design, and production to marketing, sales, and distribution.

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Contact: Laura Rock Gaughan, Executive Director, laurag@lpg.ca

Tags: Canada Book Fund, Public Lending Right, Copyright, Fair Dealing, Books, Writers, Creators, Publishers, CanLit, Culture