B.C. slashes funds to publishing groups

In a move labelled a literary clearcut, the B.C. government has cut all funding to two publishing associations and a publication about the book trade.

It's the latest in a round of cuts to B.C. cultural organizations after the budget of the Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture was drastically reduced.

The latest cuts:

• $45,000 to the Association of Book Publishers of British Columbia.
• $31,000 to the BC BookWorld newspaper.
• $20,000 to the B.C. Association of Magazine Publishers.

Each of the organizations received a telephone call Tuesday from the ministry saying all of their provincial funding would end, effective in January, said Margaret Reynolds of the Association of Book Publishers.

The cut represents about 15 per cent of the annual budget of the book publishers' organization, which supports joint marketing efforts by publishers of B.C. books.

There was no other consultation, just the phone call, Reynolds said.

There are no frills to cut, she said, adding that she could not yet say how the organization will cope with such a large hole in its budget.

Among the projects that could be affected are catalogues for schools and libraries that make them aware of B.C. books.

BC BookWorld is a quarterly publication about B.C. publishing and the magazine group represents the interests of more than 80 magazines.

Reynolds said the cuts make no sense because all the groups play a role in stimulating B.C. publishing.

So far, B.C. publishers have not been hit as they get funding through the B.C. Arts Council, but cuts to the council mean their grants could be severely reduced next year.

B.C.'s literary organizations, including BC Book Prizes, have formed a lobby group in an attempt to get arts funding restored.

"Essentially the B.C. government saw they had a deficit and we didn't have any," Bryan Pike, executive director of the BC Book Prizes, "So they decided to give us some of theirs! They are off-loading debt onto charitable organizations."