Rick Wilks, the co-founder of Annick Press joins Anitha to talk about publishing children’s books. He shares his journey, memories and even his list of favourite books.
The two also talk about book banning—what it is, the harm it causes creators, publishers and children. Rick talks about how important it is for books to showcase all voices, especially those that have been underrepresented in the past, (LGBTQ+, black, indigenous, and people of colour).
Annick press is determined to advocate for books from underrepresented communities. One way is through their Mentorship Program, launched in 2021. This yearly program supports works in progress of emerging, underrepresented writers whose access to children’s publishing may have been limited. The application window is for the month of September 2025! Check out Annick’s website for all the details.
Of course, Anitha asked Rick what he is looking for in submissions—always a key question for writers. Here is link to their submission guidelines: Submission Guideline
A great conversation about books, diversity and how important it is for folks in positions of power and privilege to use their position to help others.
To learn more about Annick Press as they celebrate 50 years in publishing, check out their website. It’s full of information about books, sources for educators and for the month of September, the Mentorship Program!
Here’s Rick’s list of recommended books, which can be found on Annick’s website.
Nonfiction:
*More Than Money: How Economic inequality affects EVERYTHING
*Fatty Legs
Comics and graphic novels
*The Wolf Suit
Picture Books
*The Man with the Violin
*Abuelita and Me
*The Paper Bag Princess
As a thank you to Rick for sharing his story, Anitha donated to the Nature Conservancy of Canada (NCC). NCC is a non-profit organization that partners with individuals, corporations, foundations, Indigenous communities and other non-profit organizations and governments at all levels to protect Canada’s plants and wildlife. Since 1962, NCC and its partners have helped to protect more than 15 million hectares, coast to coast.
To learn more about the Nature Conservancy of Canada, check out their website.
To hear the full episode, click hear:
Anitha Rao-Robinson 