Title and statement of responsibility area
Title proper
Key Porter Books fonds
General material designation
Parallel title
Other title information
Title statements of responsibility
Title notes
Level of description
Fonds
Reference code
RC0120
Edition area
Edition statement
Edition statement of responsibility
Class of material specific details area
Statement of scale (cartographic)
Statement of projection (cartographic)
Statement of coordinates (cartographic)
Statement of scale (architectural)
Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)
Dates of creation area
Date(s)
-
1945-2007 (Creation)
Physical description area
Physical description
26.31 m of textual records and graphic material
2 audio cassettes
1 video cassette
Publisher's series area
Title proper of publisher's series
Parallel titles of publisher's series
Other title information of publisher's series
Statement of responsibility relating to publisher's series
Numbering within publisher's series
Note on publisher's series
Archival description area
Name of creator
Administrative history
Key Porter Books of Toronto, Ontario, was established by Anna Porter and Richard de Pencier in 1979. In addition to being one of the largest independent trade publishers in Canada, the company maintained an international reputation as a producer of quality books in an extensive range of categories. Key Porter published between 75 and 100 new titles annually in the areas of photography, art, business, finance, Canadian history and biography, memoirs, natural science, politics and current issues. Under the Key Porter Kids (KPK) imprint, the list included non-fiction, young adult fiction and picture books by authors such as Margaret Atwood, Tom King, László Gál, Carol Matas, Henry Kim and Tim Wynne Jones. Key Porter also published fiction using three imprints: Key Porter fiction, Patrick Crean Editions, and Lester and Orpen Dennys Limited. The list included Canadian and international writers such as Joan Barfoot, George Bowering, Sylvia Fraser, Thomas Keneally, Susan Swan, William Trevor and Yevgeny Yevtushenko. Among Key Porter’s non-fiction authors were Jack Batten, Stevie Cameron, Jean Chrétien, Robert Fulford, Basil Johnston, Farley Mowat and Eric Wright. Anna Porter sold Key Porter Books in July 2004 to H.F. Fenn. In September 2009 the company relocated to Bolton, Ontario and incurred a reduction in staff. Key Porter Books went out of business in early January 2011.
Custodial history
Scope and content
The fonds contains administrative and editorial files, including: correspondence, manuscripts, proofs, contracts, marketing plans, cost sheets, business papers, and other material.
Notes area
Physical condition
Immediate source of acquisition
The first accrual was acquired in September 2000, the second accrual in October 2000, the third accrual in April 2002, the fourth accrual in April 2003, the fifth accrual in April 2004, the sixth accrual in May 2011, all from Key Porter Books. The seventh accrual was acquired from Anna Porter in March 2013.
Arrangement
There have been six accruals. The first accrual (09-2000), which measures 3.23 m, consists of administrative files and is arranged in six series: Editorial, production, Anna Porter correspondence, Firefly Books Ltd. correspondence, Lester and Orpen Dennys Limited and manuscripts. The second accrual (39-2000), which measures 3.67 m, consists of administrative files and is arranged in two series: Editorial and Author Profiles. The third accrual (23-2002), which measures 5.3 m, consists of editorial files containing correspondence, contracts, and some proofs. The fourth accrual (16–2003), which measures 5.14 m, consists of editorial and production files containing correspondence, manuscripts, proofs, contracts, book proposals, marketing plans, invoices, and cost sheets, and is arranged in two series: Editorial and production and Anna Porter correspondence. The fifth accrual (44-2004), which measures 7.68 m, has been arranged in two series: Editorial and production and Lester and Orpen Dennys materials. The sixth accrual (81-2010), which measures 79 cm, consists primarily of editorial files with authors and company catalogues. The seventh accrual (2013-010), 50.5 cm, consists of correspondence, business papers, and catalogues.
Language of material
Script of material
Location of originals
Availability of other formats
Restrictions on access
Researchers using the Key Porter fonds will need to complete this Researcher Agreement: https://library.mcmaster.ca/form/kp-agreement
Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication
Finding aids
Associated materials
See also the Anna Porter fonds.
Accruals
Further accruals are not expected.
Alternative identifier(s)
Standard number area
Standard number
Access points
Subject access points
Place access points
Name access points
Genre access points
Control area
Description record identifier
RC0120
