Based out of a big yellow house in Victoria’s North Park neighbourhood, one of the largest independent publishers in Canada celebrates four decades of amplifying voices this year.
Orca Book Publishers was founded by Robert Tyrrell in 1984 and is now owned and run by Andrew Wooldridge and Ruth Linka. With more than 1,000 titles in print and beyond 85 new titles a year, the company is known for its beautifully illustrated board books and picture books, middle grade nonfiction for curious kids, and middle grade and young adult fiction for readers of all abilities and interests. Orca publishes in English, French and Spanish and has books in more than 20 Indigenous languages, including nehiyawewin (Plains Cree), Anishinaabemowin and Dine.
“We are so proud of this company and the books that we produce,” Wooldridge said. “And we are honoured to work with such an amazing team and the creators who entrust their stories to us. Publishing is a challenging business in a changing world, but it is also one of the most exciting places to be.”
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Orca is unique among publishers in that almost all activities are carried out in-house – from editorial and production to sales, marketing, customer service and distribution – allowing the company to grow and adapt over the years while maintaining independence and control.
Orca runs distribution warehouses in Victoria West and Washington State, distributing its own titles and those of 16 other publishers throughout North America. With 50 employees, Orca prides itself on publishing Canadian authors and bringing them to a wider market. The majority of Orca’s staff work in Victoria with others based in Ontario, Edmonton, central Vancouver Island, Washington State and France.
The company has published numerous best-selling and award-winning titles over the years, including Waiting for the Whales (Ron Lightburn and Sheryl McFarlane), Speaking Our Truth: A Journey of Reconciliation (Monique Gray Smith), Welcome Song for Baby (Richard Van Camp), The King of Jam Sandwiches (Eric Walters), Pride Puppy (Robin Stevenson and Julie McLaughlin), and The Witness Blanket (Carey Newman and Kirstie Hudson).
“We believe that creating meaningful and thoughtful books for our youngest citizens is the best way to be a part of the change we want to see,” Linka said.
Orca’s publishing practices include printing books in Canada when possible, using Forest Stewardship Certified paper.
The publisher also aims to make books accessible for all readers with titles available in multiple digital formats including its own subscription app called Orca Digital, where teachers and librarians have unlimited, multi-user access to curated or custom collections of our ebooks.
For the last decade, Orca has sponsored multiple scholarships at local post secondary schools as well as supporting programs such as The Good Food Box and the 1000 x 5 Project.
