Palimpsest Press
Palimpsest Press is an independent Canadian book publisher based in Windsor, Ontario, specializing in poetry, literary fiction, and intellectually engaged nonfiction.
Last updated August 31, 2026
AI crawler reads
No AI crawler has read this profile since Oct 28, 2026.
Overview
Palimpsest Press is an independent Canadian publishing house founded in 2000 by Dawn Marie Kresan. The company publishes poetry, literary fiction, and nonfiction, with a catalogue oriented toward literary experimentation and the relationship between writing, art, and culture. Its nonfiction interests include poetics, the writing life, aesthetics, photography, design, cultural criticism, and biography. In fiction, the press has been associated with literary works that explore magical realism, surrealism, and the strangeness or wonder embedded in ordinary life. The press operates from Windsor, Ontario, after its operations moved there under the ownership of Aimee Parent-Dunn. It is distributed by LitDistCo, receives sales representation through the Literary Press Group, and is a member of the Association of Canadian Publishers. These relationships place Palimpsest within Canada's independent literary-publishing network rather than the country's large multinational publishing groups. Palimpsest Press has published authors including Aislinn Hunter, Christian Bök, Elisabeth Harvor, Kate Braid, Shawna Lemay, and Steven Heighton. Its publications have received or attracted recognition through Canadian literary awards and nominations. Poetry titles from the press have twice appeared on the longlist for the ReLit Awards. Shawna Lemay's Calm Things was nominated for the Wilfred Eggleston Award for Nonfiction. Ariel Gordon received the John Hirsch Award for Manitoba's most promising writer in 2010, and her book Hump was nominated for the Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book and the Aqua Books Lansdowne Prize for Poetry in 2011; it won the latter prize. In spring 2018, Palimpsest expanded its publishing program by launching the Anstruther Press imprint. Edited by Jim Johnstone, Anstruther Press focuses on poetry books and provides a more specialized imprint structure within the wider Palimpsest operation. The catalogue also includes works such as Garden of Fools, published in 2012. Overall, Palimpsest Press occupies a literary and author-centered position in the Canadian independent-press sector, emphasizing distinctive voices, formally adventurous writing, and books that connect literature with visual culture and critical thought.
History
Palimpsest Press was established in 2000 by Dawn Marie Kresan as an independent Canadian book publisher. From its beginnings, the press developed a literary list centered on poetry and writing-related nonfiction while also publishing fiction and books engaging with art, aesthetics, photography, design, biography, and cultural criticism. Its fiction program has been described as particularly receptive to magical realism, surrealism, and literary treatments of everyday experience. The press's catalogue has included work by recognized Canadian writers such as Aislinn Hunter, Christian Bök, Elisabeth Harvor, Kate Braid, Shawna Lemay, and Steven Heighton. Its publishing activity has also been connected with a number of literary distinctions. Poetry books issued by Palimpsest were twice longlisted for the ReLit Awards. Shawna Lemay's Calm Things received a nomination for the Wilfred Eggleston Award for Nonfiction. Ariel Gordon's work brought further attention to the list: Gordon won the John Hirsch Award for most promising Manitoba writer in 2010, while Hump was nominated for the Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book and the Aqua Books Lansdowne Prize for Poetry in 2011. Hump won the latter award. A notable publication in the catalogue is Garden of Fools, released in 2012. The company later broadened its publishing structure. In spring 2018, it launched Anstruther Press, an imprint dedicated to poetry and edited by Jim Johnstone. The imprint gave Palimpsest a distinct vehicle for poetry publishing while reinforcing the company's longstanding literary focus. Palimpsest Press is based in Windsor, Ontario. Its operations moved there under the ownership of Aimee Parent-Dunn. The press is distributed by LitDistCo, has sales representation through the Literary Press Group, and belongs to the Association of Canadian Publishers. These affiliations support the circulation and professional standing of a small Canadian literary publisher. Publicly available reference material does not provide detailed information about revenue, employee numbers, ownership structure beyond Parent-Dunn's ownership, or a complete chronology of individual titles.
- 2018
Anstruther Press imprint launches
[1]Palimpsest Press launched Anstruther Press in spring 2018 as a poetry-focused imprint edited by Jim Johnstone.
- 2012
Garden of Fools is published
[1]Garden of Fools became one of the publications identified in the press's notable catalogue.
- 2011
Hump receives award nominations and wins a poetry prize
[1]Ariel Gordon's Hump was nominated for the Eileen McTavish Sykes Award for Best First Book and the Aqua Books Lansdowne Prize for Poetry, winning the latter.
- 2010
Ariel Gordon wins the John Hirsch Award
[1]Palimpsest author Ariel Gordon received the John Hirsch Award for Manitoba's most promising writer.
- 2000
Palimpsest Press is founded
[1]Dawn Marie Kresan founded Palimpsest Press as a Canadian independent book publisher.
Products and positioning
An independent Canadian literary press focused on poetry, formally and imaginatively distinctive fiction, and nonfiction at the intersection of literature, art, and cultural criticism.
Poetry books · 2000
Poetry
Poetry is a core part of Palimpsest Press's publishing program. The list includes contemporary Canadian poetry and works recognized through national and regional literary awards. Poetry publishing also forms the basis of the Anstruther Press imprint, which provides a dedicated channel for poetry books edited by Jim Johnstone.
Fiction · 2000
Literary fiction
Palimpsest publishes literary fiction with an interest in magical realism, surrealism, and imaginative explorations of everyday life. The fiction list sits alongside the press's poetry and nonfiction programs and emphasizes distinctive literary approaches rather than a mass-market genre strategy.
Nonfiction · 2000
Literary and cultural nonfiction
The nonfiction program covers poetics, the writing life, art, aesthetics, photography, design, cultural criticism, and biography. These subjects reflect the press's broader interest in the connections among literary practice, visual culture, and critical inquiry.
Poetry imprint · 2018
Anstruther Press
Anstruther Press is a poetry-focused imprint launched by Palimpsest Press in spring 2018. The imprint is edited by Jim Johnstone and operates as a specialized publishing strand within the Palimpsest catalogue.
Brand decisions
2018
Launch of the Anstruther Press imprintM&ABackground
Palimpsest Press expanded its publishing structure while maintaining its established emphasis on literary writing and poetry.
Action taken
The company launched Anstruther Press in spring 2018 as a poetry imprint edited by Jim Johnstone.
Aftermath
The launch created a dedicated imprint for poetry publications within the Palimpsest Press publishing operation.
Recent events
- 2018
Palimpsest Press launches Anstruther Press poetry imprint[1]
Product launch
Palimpsest Press introduced Anstruther Press as an imprint devoted to poetry books, with Jim Johnstone serving as editor.
- 2011
Hump wins the Aqua Books Lansdowne Prize for Poetry[1]
Other
Ariel Gordon's Hump, published by Palimpsest Press, won the Aqua Books Lansdowne Prize for Poetry after also receiving award nominations.
- 2010
Ariel Gordon receives the John Hirsch Award[1]
Other
Ariel Gordon, a Palimpsest Press author, received the John Hirsch Award recognizing Manitoba's most promising writer.
Sources2 sources
Cite this profile: Cite the canonical profile. /brand-wiki/palimpsest-press · Editorial policy · How profiles are compiled