Doubleday Canada to Publish Desmond Cole's Book on Race in Canada

TORONTO, June 11, 2015 /CNW/ - Martha Kanya-Forstner, editor-in-chief of Doubleday Canada, has acquired world rights to Desmond Cole's upcoming book, THE SKIN I'M IN, which will explore race in Canada. Jackie Kaiser and Jake Babad of Westwood Creative Artists facilitated the agreement. The book will be available to readers in 2017.

"Desmond's principled and passionate work in exposing the injustices of carding has offered undeniable proof of the power he has to both inspire activists and influence policy," says Martha Kanya-Forstner. "The book will allow him the space to explore even more comprehensively and fearlessly the structures of racial discrimination in Canada and to share the personal narratives of black Canadians who confront systemic inequality in their daily lives. My colleagues and I are convinced that Desmond's book will change the way people see this country and more importantly act within it. Desmond's intelligence and integrity on the page and in person have offered us the most meaningful reminder of why we do what we do. We could not be more proud to be his publisher."

Born in Red Deer, Alberta, and raised in Oshawa, Ontario, Desmond Cole is an award-winning journalist and activist. A staff writer at Torontoist, his work also appears in The Walrus, Toronto Life, VICE, NOW Magazine, and Ethnic Aisle, and focuses primarily on social justice, equity, immigration, systemic racism, and poverty. Desmond is a radio host on Newstalk1010, a regular media panelist on CBC Radio's q, and co-host of a new weekly podcast on Canadian politics called CANADALAND Commons. Desmond and his news team at Torontoist won a National Magazine Award silver medal for their 2013 coverage of Toronto City Hall, and a Canadian Online Publishing Award gold medal for their 2014 City Hall coverage. A former Community Animator with the Centre for Social Innovation, Desmond is a powerful public speaker, having addressed audiences across the city, including students at the Ryerson School of Journalism, Centennial College, and George Brown College; the launch of a THIS Magazine equity issue; members of CUPE Ontario, the Unitarian Church, and the Urban Alliance on Race Relations; and a crowd of 1,000 people at the recent "Black Lives Matter" event at Toronto Police Service headquarters.

SOURCE Penguin Random House Canada Limited

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