OUR COMMUNITY
As a community-driven business, we want to acknowledge that our successes are shared; they result directly from the support and collaboration with the incredible people of our Northern community. Northern Quill Publishing’s achievements will reflect more than just our board and our employees: the community supporters, the experts we consult with, the readers, and others that are on this journey with us. We believe that, as we grow, so will our ability to give back as a company, through expanding the number of works we can publish, building capacity in Northern publishing, offering scholarships or bursaries, and more.
ABOUT THE COMPANY
Northern Quill Publishing is a female-owned and operated company born from a shared love of seeing the North reflected in literature. Our journey began with a simple phone call, and now, here we are, starting this business as a social enterprise. Our team brings expertise in writing, editing, publishing, sales, distribution, project management, mentorship, and coaching to every project. As proud Northerners, we are deeply committed to producing and sharing the incredible literary talent across the Northwest Territories, celebrating stories that capture the unique spirit, cultures, and voices of our region.
Recognizing the underrepresentation of Indigenous and other diverse voices in the publishing industry, as a non-indigenous team, we are committed to investing in the necessary supports to amplify stories outside our own experiences. We are dedicated to building relationships that bridge these gaps, promoting and preserving the rich stories and knowledge rooted in this land and its peoples. We also strive to create a safe, inclusive, and open-minded creative space that welcomes and supports storytellers from all cultures and communities in the NWT, ensuring that every voice has the opportunity to be heard.
MEET THE TEAM
JUDITH DRINNAN
DIRECTOR
Originally from England, Judith moved to Canada to teach, working in Montreal and Fort Simpson before settling in Yellowknife. In 1979, she founded the Yellowknife Book Cellar, which became a cornerstone of the community for over 40 years. A passionate advocate for Northern literature, Judith also founded NorthWords in 2005, nurturing a love for storytelling across the NWT. With a lifelong dedication to books and community, she now brings her extensive experience to Northern Quill Publishing, helping to amplify Northern voices.
LANA DE BASTIANI
DIRECTOR
Born and raised in Yellowknife, Lana de Bastiani, M.Ed., has family roots in Europe and Britain. She is the author of two NWT best-selling children’s books: The Fox and My Boot (2018) and Nick the Northern Special (2022). After supporting numerous Northern children's book authors, she founded Northern Special Books, now the children's imprint of Northern Quill Publishing. Lana's Master’s in Education, focused on Northern Canadian children's literature, combined with her project management experience and passion for publishing, drives her commitment to elevating Northern voices.
AMBER HENRY
DIRECTOR
Amber Henry published her first book A Ptarmigan in a Birch Tree (2016). Falling in love with the writing and publishing process Amber went on to publish two more books of her own, to mentor others through the process and project manage literary projects for others. Amber sits on the NorthWords NWT board, as Vice President, provides writing workshops for NWT youth, and is excited to bring Northern stories to readers across Canada.
MYRANDA BOLSTAD
DIRECTOR
Myranda Bolstad holds a B.A. in English from the Augustana University College (now Faculty of Augustana, University of Alberta) and an MSc in Creative Writing from the University in Edinburgh in Scotland. While her day job is as a communications professional, she has continued to pursue her love of literature through freelance editing and now as part of Northern Quill Publishing. A settler of mixed continental European descent, she has been calling Yellowknife home since she was 13 years old. Her goal as an editor is to help writers achieve the best version of their story through a collaborative process.
RACHEL VANDER VEEN
DIRECTOR
Born in Hamilton, Ontario of Dutch settler ancestry, Rachel VanderVeen, B.Ed., has called the Northwest Territories home since 2007. She published her first book, A Journey Down The River (2018) and The Land Outside My Window (2023). Rachel divides her time between Bushkids and the NWT Literacy Council, both places infused with the stories and languages of this Land. She is excited to work within the communities of the NWT to empower people to share their stories.
OUR COMMITMENT TO OUR COMMUNITY
We acknowledge that, as settlers on Indigenous land, we won't always be able to fully represent the diverse voices of our writers on our own. To accurately reflect experiences that differ from our own, we are committed to seeking and compensating outside expertise. As a company, we strive to ensure that Northerners with diverse backgrounds and experiences can see themselves in the books we publish. This may include hiring Knowledge Keepers, sensitivity readers, editors, and illustrators who share similar backgrounds to the manuscript's subject. Each project will have unique needs, and we will rely on contractors to help guide these projects, ensuring that the author’s voice is authentically preserved.