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Printer Willy Wood operated this old (ATF Chief) printing press from 1973-1980, when Vehicule Press did its own printing.
(Photo courtesy of Concordia University Archives) |
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Véhicule Press began in 1973 on the premises of Véhicule Art Inc., one of Canada's first artist-run galleries. The large space occupied by both the gallery and the press at 61 Ste-Catherine St. West was once the Café Montmarte--the renowned jazz club of the 1930s. (See Swinging in Paradise: The Story of Jazz in Montreal).
Guy Lavoie (designer of the Véhicule Press logo), Annie Nayer, Marshalore, and Vivian Jemelka-White began using equipment inherited from Kenny Hertz's defunct Ingluvin Publications and an idle, ancient ATF Chief 20 printing press originally purchased by artist Tom Dean to print Beaux-Arts magazine.
In 1975 the press became Coopérative d'Imprimerie Véhicule--Quebec's only cooperatively-owned printing and publishing company. Véhicule Press was the publishing imprint of the coop. In late spring 1977, Véhicule Press moved to 1000 Clark Street in the heart of Chinatown, and in 1980 moved to an industrial space located on Ontario Street East.
In spring 1981, the coop was dissolved and Simon Dardick (who had joined the press during the summer, 1973) and Nancy Marrelli continued Véhicule Press from Roy Street East, not far from The Main (just around the corner from where the poet Emile Nelligan lived) in the Plateau area of Montreal.
Since 1973 Véhicule Press has published award-winning poetry, fiction, essays, translations, and social history. Simon Dardick and Nancy Marrelli are the publishers and general editors, Vicki Marcok is Office Manager and Maya Assouad is Marketing & Promotions Manager.
Michael Harris was the founding editor of the Signal Editions poetry series in 1981. Carmine Starnino became Signal Editions editor in January 2001. Since 1981, 72 titles have been published in the series; one third of them by first-time authors.
In late summer 2003, Andrew Steinmetz became editor of Esplanade Books, Véhicule's new fiction series. Andrew is the author of Histories and Wardlife: The Apprenticeship of a Young Writer as a Hospital Clerk.
In December 2003, Véhicule Press celebrated its 30th anniversary at the Bibliothèque nationale du Québec.
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Esplanade Fiction
