Fernwood Publishing

Thank you to everyone who took action and attended the rallies against this budget last week. We are very grateful for the love and support this community showed all arts workers in this region. We have put together a short reading list of critical books that have changed conversations and impacted local politics in Nova Scotia. Without public funding these books would not have been able to have the impact they did. With that said, there is still time to take action and have your voice heard. 1) Sign up to present to the Public Bills Committee: Contact the Legislative Committees Office ASAP to register a request to appear before the Public Bills Committee on the Financial Measures Act. You will need to call 902-424-8941, This is a five minute presentation that you can do either in-person or online. 2) Attend any and all rallies for the arts and/or against this year’s budget. 3) If you have received an email from your MLA request a follow-up meeting. A formulatic response is not enough. 4) Write an OP Ed piece: These do have an impact so offer to any news sources that might be open to it. 5) Keep spreading the word on social media: Share news, stories, other author posts, anything you can to keep the story alive. Don't forget to: Tag Premier Houston (@TimHoustonNS ) and Minister Dave Ritcey (Dave Ritcey, MLA on Facebook) Use the hashtags #DefendNSBooks

As you likely have heard by now Tim Houston's government has cut arts funding in Nova Scotia by 34%. This is despite the fact that the art's industry in this region is thriving and is one of our main cultural exports. Much of the money that was allocated towards the arts industry is being put towards industries like weapons development, AI systems, and resource extraction. We are calling our our readers, authors, friends, comrades and community to support us and the entire arts industry at this time. Nova Scotia MLAs are currently in session, and they will be voting on the budget soon. The time for public pressure is now. Please write to your MLA explaining why wholesale elimination of funding for independent publishing is unconscionable, and CC: Minister of Finance [email protected] Minister of Communities, Culture, Tourism, and Heritage [email protected] NDP MLA Claudia Chender [email protected] Also join us March 3rd for the Shoulder to Shoulder: We Are All Treaty People Rally and on March 4th for the Rally for the Arts Both rallies are at noon and will be held at the provincial legislature. #defendnsbooks #rallyforthearts #wearealltreatypeople

A Feel For Thinking: Lessons for a Political Education by Sharon Luk is now available for pre-order. A Feel For Thinking is both an introduction to radical ideas for the uninitiated reader, and a manifesto for radical political education in the face of attacks on academic freedom. Use code FL26 to get 15% off it and all of our Fall titles here: https://fernwoodpublishing.ca/books/forthcoming

Our Fall 2026 season is coming and pre-orders are now open. Use code: FL26 on our website for 15% off all pre-orders. Get a early preview to our season here: https://fernwoodpublishing.ca/books/catalogues

Request early access to Ravenous by Sara Coopere here: galley.com/catalog/book/832116

Pre-orders for The Politics of Lonely: Why is Friendship so Hard? by Lee Arden are now open. The Politics of Lonely is the first “community-help” book designed to help readers understand why friendship under neoliberal capitalism sucks and how people can change it. Author Alexis Shotwell calls the book, “An incisive call to build worlds in which friendship is more and more accessible, for everyone.” To pre-order a copy of this book and all our Fall 2026 titles visit: https://fernwoodpublishing.ca/books/forthcoming

We are happy to announce that our authors @zeinasleimanwrites and @smokiisumac , will be reading at the third annual Watermelon Seeds Festival of Literature this year. The event will be held at 12pm (PDT) at the Gustafson Theatre at the Vancouver Island University's Nanaimo Campus, 900 Fifth Street, Nanaimo, BC.

Join author Lesley Choyce for a workshop on the art of fiction writing at Halifax Central Library on May 30th at 2pm ADT. Lesley Choyce, author of over 100 books, will offer a lively one hour workshop about fiction writing and getting published. Using examples from his latest novel, No More Fridays, he will discuss how individuals from real life inspire great characters in novels. He will also offer up insight about character development, dialogue, idea content, plot structure and much more—all sure to be of interest to both writers and readers! To register for this event visit: https://fernwoodpublishing.ca/events/view/the-craft-of-fiction-with-lesley-choyce1

We have added another speaker for our upcoming book launch of Truly Tribal: Contemporary Indigenous Tattooing. Missy is a Missy Dunn - Mahan is a citizen of the Tohono O' Oldham nation and active member of the Yuchi/zOyaha nation from Polecat Ceremonial grounds. Missy is a contemporary painter, tattoo artist and co owner of the Desert Bloom Tattoo & Salon in Phoenix, AZ, where she creates stunning and innovative art that celebrates her heritage. @missymahanart will be joined in conversation by @dionkaszas and @gordonsparkstattoos .

As the climate crisis becomes more urgent and issues of social inequality intensify, Revolutionary Science shows how agroecology offers hope rooted in a deeper understanding of ecology, society, and collective struggle. Join author Bruce H. Jennings, in conversation with Patrick Archie, for the launch of Revolutionary Science: The Struggle for Agroecology in the Americas. When: May 27th 2026 Where: The Stanford Farm For more information visit: /

New from Fernwood: Truly Tribal: Contemporary Indigenous Tattooing edited Dion Kaszas Truly Tribal is the first worldwide survey of contemporary indigenous tattooing and skin marking practices that is authored by the indigenous practitioners themselves. To pick up a copy visit your local independent bookseller or visit: https://fernwoodpublishing.ca/book/truly-tribal

A collective review of a collective book ✊ By Isabella De Judicibus, Donatella Gasparro, Desirè Gaudioso, Lydia Karazarifi, Franca Marquardt, Nerea Montejo López, and Laura Pipolo Insurgent Ecologies challenge us to think across the many ways struggles for land, life, and liberation unfold, and to build insurgent forms of thought and action across worlds shaped by colonialism, extraction, and racial capitalist modernity. Centering decolonial, Indigenous, feminist, queer, and antiracist perspectives, the book refuses the separation between knowledge production and political struggle, opening space for militant research as a collective practice of resistance. This collective review, published in Resistance: A Journal of Radical Environmental Humanities, reflects on the political possibilities of insurgent ecologies, critiquing collapsing worlds, and reimagining and reclaiming just socioecological futures. The review emerged through dialogue across different perspectives, positionalities, and political analyses. An attempt to read collectively in a time of fragmentation and collapse, while encouraging dialogue and learning beyond simple consensus. We invite readers to approach it with its plurality of voices in mind. 🔗Read the review at our link in bio 🔗Find ‘Resistance: A Journal of Radical Environmental Humanities’ at the link in the comment. 🌱As a small gesture to help spread insurgent stories, use the code UNDIENVI10 for 15% off when you order through Fernwood (link in bio). Insurgent Ecologies. Between Environmental Struggles and Postcapitalist Transformations - Edited by Undisciplined Environments Collective. Published by @fernpub Cover artwork @earthliberationstudio #UndisciplinedEnvironments #PoliticalEcology #InsurgentEcologies #DecolonialEcologies #MilitantResearch #RadicalEnvironmentalHumanities