The Art of the Book: Scott McIntyre

At this upcoming Alcuin event, legendary publisher Scott McIntyre will offer a deeply personal retrospective on his nearly 50-year career at the forefront of the Canadian literary landscape. As the force behind Douglas & McIntyre, McIntyre will trace the evolution of one of the country’s premier independent houses, sharing behind-the-scenes anecdotes involving industry icons and celebrated authors. More than just a history lesson, the talk serves as a passionate defense of the physicality of books—emphasizing why craftsmanship in paper, binding, and design remains a vital tribute to the written word even in an increasingly digital age.

For Scott, the physicality of books remained fundamental. Echoing the imperatives of Knopf; paper, binding, and type design had to honour the words. That resulted in winning more Alcuin awards than any other single house, national or multinational, while building the largest art book program in Canada, and establishing an international reputation for high quality books. Even the D&M logo, the Burghead Bull, declared intent, based upon a carved image from a 9th century Pictish fort overlooking Moray Forth: defiant; Scottish; echoing the traditions of old-line publishing houses.

Anecdotes about the evolution of Canadian publishing will focus on important D&M projects: The Art of Emily Carr, History in Their Blood, Doug Coupland’s Souvenir of Canada, and A Story as Sharp as A Knife, amongst many others.

This will be his personal take on the world that he chose to embrace and why the old standards still matter, even in a digital world.

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Scott McIntyre, CM, OBC, LLD (Hon), BA, is best known as the co-founder and the retired Publisher and CEO of the pre-eminent, Vancouver headquartered, Canadian publishing house Douglas & McIntyre. His company published over 2000 Canadian books from its founding in 1971 to his retirement in 2013. He also spent over 40 years engaged in industry/government relations.

Scott remains an active member of Canada’s cultural community. His recent Boards have included PEN Canada, the BC Achievement Foundation and, at UBC, Green College, the Global Reporting Centre, the Museum of Anthropology, and the Vancouver Institute. He delivered the 2019-2020 Clyne Lectures at Green College. His memoir, A Precarious Enterprise: Making a Life in Canadian Publishing, was published by ECW of Toronto on September 9, 2025. Scott is a graduate of UBC, and holds an honorary Doctor of Laws from SFU. He is a member of both the Order of Canada and the Order of British Columbia. His significant contributions to Canadian publishing have been further recognized by the Queen’s Golden Jubilee and Diamond Jubilee medals.