Who We Are

Who We Are

The Dewey Divas and Dudes came out of a program at Toronto Public Library in 2002– each spring and autumn they would invite half a dozen publishers to present the highlights of their list to librarians from across their entire system, usually between sixty five and a hundred librarians. While all librarians know the obvious, commercially successful titles, there was an awareness of a need to know about hidden gem’s on a publisher’s list – debut authors, books publishers were very excited about, quiet bestsellers. The benefit of working together was clear right away – no library would pull their librarians together for a half day event for only one publisher, but there is a huge advantage when between three and nine publishers can be represented all at once. Each year, the Deweys present books to well over 2,000 Canadian librarians.
All of our lists are inclusive and diverse.

Two of the publisher’s library reps thought other systems might benefit from this kind of presentation as well and the Dewey Divas and the Dudes were born. They have since done presentations to libraries across the country from Vancouver to Halifax. There are nine divas representing over 600 publishers between them – Ampersand, Canadian Manda, Scholastic Canada, Harper Collins Canada, Martin & Associates, Orca Book Publishers and Penguin Random House Canada.

Saffron Beckwith is President at Ampersand Inc. where she has the best job in the world...talking about books with teachers and librarians. She is also an instructor at Ryerson University.
http://ampersandinc.ca/ 

Allie Chenoweth is the Trade Sales Representative, Library and Educational Retailers for Scholastic Canada. Prior to joining to Scholastic in 2018, she worked in marketing at a Canadian indie publisher. Allie enjoys reading literary fiction, short stories, graphic novels, and (of course) children’s books. She is also a member of two book clubs and a huge Jeopardy! fan.
http://www.scholastic.ca/deweydiva/

Andrea Colquhoun is the District Sales Manager, School and Library Specialist for Penguin Random House Canada. She started as a manager in a bookstore in 1984 and moved to publishing in 1995 with a small family distributer and then Penguin Canada where she has been with the library market since 2006.  Andrea is an avid reader and is passionate about young adult books and all genres of fiction.
http://penguinrandomhouse.ca/programs/penguin-random-house-canada-school-libraries

Laureen Cusack is the National Accounts Manager and Library Wholesaler sales representative for Ampersand Inc.  She has been working in the publishing industry for over 25 years.  Laureen enjoys literary fiction, biographies and YA fiction. 
http://ampersandinc.ca/

Tim Gain is currently the National Account Manager-Library Market at Canadian Manda Group and has been the primary library rep since 2004. He most enjoys reading literary and historical fiction.
http://www.mandagroup.com/publishers/

Janet Murie  has worked in publishing since 1983, selling books into every market – chains, warehouse clubs, online retail, independent bookstores and libraries - over that time. She has specialized in sales to libraries and library wholesalers since 2007 and loved every minute of it. orcabook.com

Rosalyn Steele is the Director of Library & Academic Sales at HarperCollins Canada. A passionate reader, Rosalyn loves discovering new authors and talking about them to whoever will listen. She also bakes a mean cookie (or so she’s told) and tries to follow the sage advice of Dr. Seuss, who once reputedly said: “Fill your house with stacks of books, in all the crannies and all the nooks.”
http://www.harpercollins.ca/

Margot Stokreef is a partner in Martin and Associates Sales Agency, a sales group that sells to libraries, schools, gift stores,  and bookstores in Ontario and Quebec. She has a passion for young adult novels and literary fiction - and a keen eye for the next break out author. When she is not reading and selling books Margot spends time teaching and practicing Yoga at a studio in west end Toronto. 
https://martinsalesagency.wordpress.com/

Lahring Tribe is a book industry lifer, having worked in bookstores and for a book wholesaler before spending the last 27 years at Penguin Random House Canada where she is the Director of the School, Library and Academic Department.  Frequently heard to moan “so many books, so little time”, she enjoys reading anything for kids, adult fiction that makes her laugh, mysteries and history, and delights in sharing her finds with other readers. http://penguinrandomhouse.ca/programs/penguin-random-house-canada-school-libraries