TouchWood Editions

Home
TouchWood Editions

An indie Canadian book publisher with a big love of eating, drinking and diving into stories. Today, we proudly continue to build our reputation in this genre.

TouchWood Editions is an independent book publisher based in Victoria, BC, Canada. We are a small team of creatives who share a big love of eating, drinking, exploring the region, and diving into stories that expand and deepen our worldview. Our best work happens when creating beautiful books on topics that ignite our passion: food and wine, regional history, art and photography, gardening and pet

s, house and home, and quality literary fiction titles. Individually and collectively, we value how these topics speak to our sense of belonging and place. In this spirit, we gratefully acknowledge that the land on which we live and work is within the traditional territories of the Lkwungen (Esquimalt, and Songhees), Malahat, Pacheedaht, Scia’new, T’Sou-ke and W̱SÁNEĆ (Pauquachin, Tsartlip, Tsawout, Tseycum) peoples. The roots of TouchWood Editions reach back to 1984 when Marlyn Horsdal and Michael Schubart started Horsdal & Schubart (H&S), a small publishing company based on Salt Spring Island. Their goal was to carry on the legacy of Gray’s Publishing, one of British Columbia’s earliest book publishers, by publishing similar types of books. H&S published mainly non-fiction titles: history and biography, often favouring nautical books, and always authored by writers from western and northern Canada. In 2000, H&S was purchased by current owner, Pat Touchie, and renamed TouchWood Editions. We continued to build our reputation on producing quality books of cultural and historical significance to BC, specifically Vancouver Island and BC’s west coast. Our backlist is anchored by titles that recount the true stories of BC historical figures and events. Some of these legacy titles include Heart of the Raincoast (1998), Voyages of Hope: The Saga of the Bride-Ships (2002), and Stella: An Unrepentant Madam (2005), among others. For example, we recently published Boom & Bust: The Resilient Women of Historic Telegraph Cove (which received Honourable Mention for the 2019 Lieutenant Governor’s Medal for Historical Writing), Victoria Unbuttoned:A Red-Light History of BC’s Capital City (2021), Craigdarroch Castle in 21 Treasures (2021), and E. J. Hughes: Canadian War Artist (2022).

25/10/2024

✨ New review for The Cobra and the Key ✨

“What confuses me so much about those who have prescriptions for how to write is that they assume all humans experience the world the same way.”

24/10/2024

Very exciting evening celebrating Karen Anderson's (Alberta Food Tours Inc.) ✨ SILVER MEDAL ✨ at the 2024 Taste Canada Awards

Congratulations to the 2024 Taste Canada Awards Silver Winners, English-language! ⁠
⁠
Félicitations aux gagnants Argent des Lauréats Saveurs du Canada 2024, langue anglaise ! ⁠
⁠
📖 Kings of Their Own Ocean: Tuna, Obsession, and the Future of Our Seas by Karen Pinchin, Knopf Canada

📖 Cake & Loaf Gatherings: Sweet and Savoury Recipes to Celebrate Every Occasion by Nickey Miller and Josie Rudderham, Penguin Canada (Cake and Loaf Bakery Penguin Random House Canada)

📖 Eat Alberta First: A Year of Local Recipes from Where the Prairies Meet the Mountains by Karen Anderson, TouchWood Editions

📖 A Generous Meal: Modern Recipes for Dinner by Christine Flynn, Penguin Canada

📖 Super Tonics: 75 Adaptogen-Packed Recipes for Sleep, Beauty, and Wellness by Meredith Youngson, Appetite by Random House

Check out the full list of winners here: ⁠https://tastecanada.org/2024-taste-canada-awards-winners/

02/10/2024

🍄 Calling all mushroom enthusiasts and foraging fans! 🌿

Whether you're a seasoned forager or just starting out, we've got a comprehensive guide from Bill Jones from Deerholme Farm that has everything you need to know about:

• Identifying edible wild mushrooms safely
• Tips and best practices for sustainable foraging
• Creative methods to preserve your mushroom bounty

👉 Click the link to unlock the secrets of wild mushroom foraging and preservation: https://touchwoodeditions.com/blogs/news-events/the-ultimate-guide-to-harvesting-and-preserving-wild-mushrooms

Wild mushrooms are a seasonal product, which means they arrive during a short window of time and, occasionally, in a bountiful manner. If you find one beautiful porcini, you are probably going to immediately sauté and eat it with a glorious sense of fulfillment and smug pride (at least that’s how...

04/09/2024

Kick off September with some great 📚

A list of local books that celebrate BC's environment and economy and the people who make them great.

14/08/2024

Exciting to see Karen Anderson aka Alberta Food Tours Inc. and Danielle Acken Photography as finalists for this year's Taste Canada Awards 🏆

26/07/2024

Looking for your next summer read? ☀️

Although mystery books are usually pictured alongside a cup of tea, a comfy armchair and a rainy window, today we make the case for pairing them with a cold beverage, a picnic blanket, and a sunny day. With immersive writing and Go to full post ...read more

09/07/2024

Sneak preview of things to come in spring 2025 📅

🕯️I’ve held this wonderful, precious news close to me for months. Was it too hard to believe such a big, big dream could be coming true? Was it that it felt strange, in the months after my brother died, to celebrate something so grand?

I’ve worked my ass off at my writing since I was seventeen (a few moons ago). I went through crazy-making years (decades) of submitting manuscripts and receiving what I’ve come to call ‘passes’ from publishers of all sizes. Agents too.

I wrote anyway. I wrote one manuscript and then another. The passes filled a letter envelope, then an 8x10 envelope (some of them are beautifully handwritten). I kept them the way one keeps memories of a wicked lover. I kept writing.

One Christmas break, I stumbled across the story of a formidable woman I call Belle Jane, who led a gang of cattle thieves in Saskatchewan circa 1920. I researched her world slowly, and then wrote feverishly, every day nearly seven days a week at dawn. I wrote while some other part of my mind was fraught with losing my brother. I wrote because in the dark in that other world, with Belle Jane, who could do anything, I felt the thrill of aliveness.

I was sure I was certified crazy thinking I was a writer who might make it someday. But I love writing so I wrote anyway.

One day, I sent off Belle Jane in her manuscript, I Want to Die in My Boots. Some weeks later, the wonderful women of ’s beautiful literary imprint Brindle & Glass had replied, wanted to talk.

And here it is, this novel, heading off after its first substantive edit, on its way. This formidable woman who overcame so many odds in such a dangerous time, I can’t wait for you to meet her.

Should be April 2025. 🎇

Here’s to working your ass off, writing through all the s**t, courageous indie publishers, and all the women with pluck and strength who came before us. 🌸

I will say it always and now: Thank you Noel. Thank you Spokes. 🩷

08/07/2024

How to prepare fresh crab 🦀

This weekend is and we couldn't be more thrilled to chow down on local Dungeness Crab, corn, potatoes, clams, prawns, fresh bread, and butter.

Can't make it? Why not make your own crab fest by learning the art of preparing crab like a pro with our easy 5-step guide:

Choose fresh, ethically sourced crab or catch your own (just follow the local guidelines)
Humanely stun the crab in ice water (15-20 mins)
Hold the crab on its back and cut it in half with a confident swing of a sharp, heavy butcher knife
Clean thoroughly, removing gills and innards
Cook immediately on medium-high heat until the crab meat turns from translucent to white, 15–20 minutes

Enjoy your crab with some melted butter and a fresh squeeze lemon!

📸:

24/06/2024

Happening this week for all you Toronto folks!

12/06/2024

✨ Congratulations to Karen Anderson (Alberta Food Tours Inc.) and co-authors DL Acken (Danielle Acken Photography) and Aurelia Louvet on their Taste Canada nominations 🏆

The cookbooks, Eat Alberta First and Let's Eat, (clearly we were thinking about eating when naming them 🤭) have been nominated for awards in the Regional / Cultural and Single-Subject categories respectively and we couldn’t be more thrilled 🤩

29/05/2024

Happening this weekend! 📅

Join us in our Ladner store on Saturday, June 1st from 12 noon to 2 pm to meet and get an autographed copy of her new Lane Winslow mystery Lightning Strikes the Silence!

22/05/2024

The long weekend is passed, so now it's rosé all day 😎 From crisp and refreshing to luscious and fruit-forward, we've got suggestions for pink sippers that'll be your ultimate warm-weather companions. But don't sleeping on the bubbles either – we're popping some seriously fun and flirty local sparkling wines that'll make you feel like you're on a perpetual patio. So go out and chill a bottle (or three), gather your crew, and let the Sipster's guide show you how summer's really done! 🏖

17/05/2024

Looking for a long weekend read? 👀📚

10/05/2024

Not too late to find something bookish for mom 😍

02/05/2024

🏆 Awards News 🏆

Congratulations to Sam Shelstad and his brilliantly funny, slightly unhinged creative writing guide in the form of a novel, The Cobra and the Key, which is nominated for the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour 🤣

The book, which we promise you is FUNNY, has been praised by fellow writers and critics as:

“a really, really funny short story” —Patton Oswalt, comedian

“a roaring good time for fans of dark humor” —Shelf Awareness

“a relentlessly witty work of satire” —Fawn Parker, author of What We Both Know

“my stomach hurt, both from the belly laughs and the creeping dread it inspired.” —Anna Fitzpatrick, author of Good Girl

“The Cobra and the Key is one of the funniest novels I’ve ever read.” —Michael Hingston, author of Try Not to Be Strange

“among the funniest writers in Canada” —The Bookshelf

Learn more about the book >> https://www.touchwoodeditions.com/book/the-cobra-and-the-key/

Address

Website

https://beacons.ai/touchwooded, https://www.touchwoodeditions.com/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when TouchWood Editions posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Videos

We a small but mighty bunch who cheers the loudest when we see our authors achieve great things 📣 Massive congratulations to @eatalbertafirst aka Karen Anderson on her second silver medal at the @tastecanadaawards. Her latest cookbook, Eat Alberta First, is a both a cookbook and a love letter to Karen’s favourite people and possibly favourite place (she travels a lot!!): ✨ALBERTA✨ The 90 recipes she shares are a celebration of Alberta’s farmers, ranchers, and food artisans, and are organized around the province’s unique seasons. Congratulations to all of the authors, it was certainly a night worth celebrating 🥂 . . . . . #tastecanada #cookbooks #cookbook #cookbookclub #cookbookauthor #cookbooksofinstagram #cookbookcorner

Like many of you, we also have resolutions for the year ahead. There’s lots going on in the world, so we’re focusing on good intentions when it comes to our reading habits. Here’s our Reading Resolutions for 2024: . 📖 less focus on books read and more on pages read. We’re stepping away from a numbered goal for this year and focusing instead on reading for the sheer joy of nestling up with a good book when we have the time. . 📖 read more debut authors. We’re excited to give our reading time to authors just starting out and supporting their endeavours to breakthrough the literary noise of so so so many books being published. . 📖 more short novels and story collections. We love a tome of a novel, so no jumping to conclusions! But this year time feels precious, so we’re giving love to authors whose sparse words are hard fought, meaningful and engaging on the page. . What are some of your Reading Resolutions for 2024? Are you stepping away from counting books or just starting your book counting journey? Are you also on the short novel kick or just us? . Drop your answers in the comments below 👇 . . . . . . . #newyearnewyou #bookstagram #bookcommunity #booksta #bookstack #resolutions2024 #bookrecommendations #booklover #booknerd #bookaddict #booktok #booktube

Three books on the #ReadLocalBC bestseller list and we’re feeling 😎🪩😎 . . . . . . #bookishlove #bookishfeatures #bookmemes #booklover #bookstagram #booktok #tbr #tbrpile

It's #NewReleaseTuesday and we're celebrating Danielle Acken Photography and Aurelia Louvet's new cookbook for kids, Let's Eat! 🍝 Try this fun, choose-your-own-adventure style cookbook, with its bold, colourful photography, 💚🧡💙 kids will soon advance from quick afterschool snacks and summer picnics to breakfasts in bed and full-course family dinners (with dessert, of course). #kidsactivities #kidscooking #foodforkids #familyrecipe #cookbooks

Vancouver's Most Haunted Places

It's Friday the 13th 👻

Girl dinner 💁‍♀️ covered in dip version. . Inspo & Recipes at the 🔗 in bio . Enjoy girlies 💃

Today is National Indigenous People’s Day here in the place many of us call Canada and we’re honoured to have the privilege to share free copies of these important stories from the Indigenous authors we’ve published. If you live or work or are visiting the traditional territory of the Lkwungen speaking peoples you might be one of the few to pick up one of these books. We hope you can read and share; your thoughts, emotions, ways forward, and hopefully a copy of the book you just read with another person in your life. #nationalindigenouspeoplesday #indigenoushistorymonth #indigenousrights #indigenousart #indigenouspeoplesday