“Trent has a very healthy literary community, and I’ve felt very welcome,” said Scott McIntyre, a leader in the publishing industry, during his recent stay at the University as the 2014 Traill College Fellow.
As fellow, Mr. McIntyre, co-founder of the Canadian independent publishing giant Douglas & McIntyre, spent two weeks at Trent, staying in the Traill College guest suite with his wife, and interacting with students and faculty across the University.
During his stay, Mr. McIntyre participated and led several events and guest lectures. He also enjoyed a special welcoming reception held in his honour. Students in Trent’s master’s in English (Public Texts) program benefited from Mr. McIntyre’s experience and expertise during a graduate students professional development workshop on "Getting to Print in Canada: How to Publish for a General Audience" on February 10. Students also had the opportunity speak with Mr. McIntyre one-on-one.
One student of the M.A. in Public Texts program, Eyitayo Aloh, was especially eager to meet with Mr. McIntyre and scheduled his private appointment right away. Mr. Aloh expressed great interest in speaking to Mr. McIntyre about the process that an author goes through to become published in Canada: "I'm an African writer new to Canada. Maybe he'll be able to help this African writer get published in Canada,” he said.
In addition to the student events, Mr. McIntyre also delivered a public lecture as part of a special speakers’ series honouring 40 years of Canadian Studies at Trent. In this lecture, entitled The Grand Adventure of Canadian Publishing: From Colonial Roots to World Stage, a Personal Account, Mr. McIntyre reflected on the history of Canadian publishing and the personal role he has played in the industry.
“We in Canadian Studies, and indeed everyone at Traill College and across the University were delighted by Scott's visit,” said Dr. Dimitry Anastakis, chair of Canadian Studies at Trent. “His public talks and classroom visits were fantastic, and gave students and faculty real insight into Canadian publishing, Canadian culture, and the inside story of the literary world. We are all very appreciative of Scott taking the time to be this year's Traill Fellow.”
Posted on Monday, February 24, 2014.