Ruth Panofsky, whose
study of the publishing house Macmillan of Canada appeared recently,
muses in the UTP blog about similarities between Macmillan of Canada, a branchplant that became an independent force, and McClelland & Stewart, an independent that has recently become a branchplant.
Canadian publishing has never been more perilous, however, than in recent years when the nature of book publishing has been transformed by the digital rise and the publishing industry worldwide has come under siege. It is remarkable, in fact, that M&S retained its position as a primarily Canadian-owned company until the second decade of the twenty-first century. Despite financial vagaries, the company remained fiercely Canadian in ownership and culture – hence, the absorption of the company by Random House is felt deeply by all those who care about Canadian literary culture and the Canadian book business.
Panofsky's book argues that
"the triumvirate of Ryerson Press, McClelland & Stewart, and the Macmillan Company of Canada was responsible for fostering a modern Canadian literary culture."
