Barbara Pulling

Profile

I'm an award-winning editor, literary consultant and publishing specialist. Since I started my career in book publishing in 1983, I’ve edited hundreds of books on a wide variety of subjects, working with some of Canada’s best writers.

My interests are eclectic, which keeps my perspective fresh and my energy high. Over the years, I’ve worked with journalists, historians, novelists, playwrights, artists, activists, travel writers, comedians, memoirists, politicians and people from all walks of life who simply had a good story to tell. It’s always a thrill to see a new book take shape. In addition to hands-on editing, I evaluate manuscripts and help writers craft proposals for publishers and agents. Authors find me meticulous, creative and committed, and I excel at knowing the right questions to ask.

My clients include individual authors as well as publishers big and small: Annick Press, Arsenal Pulp Press, Caitlin Press, Figure 1 Publishing, Greystone Books, Orca Books, Page Two Strategies, Penguin Random House Canada, Sono Nis Press, UBC Press and Douglas & McIntyre (now D&M Publishers Inc.), where I spent ten years on staff. The books I’ve edited, among them numerous bestsellers, have won or been shortlisted for many top honours, including Canada Reads, Young Canada Reads, the Giller Prize, the Charles Taylor Prize, Governor General’s literary awards, the Stephen Leacock Medal, the Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing, the Rachel Carson Environment Book Award, the Michael L. Printz Award and the Deutschen Jugendliteraturpreis.

I won the Tom Fairley Award for Editorial Excellence in 2000 for my work on The Bear’s Embrace by Patricia Van Tighem. Since 1999, I’ve taught and guest-lectured at Simon Fraser University in Continuing Studies, the Book Editing and Fiction Editing workshops, and the Master of Publishing program. I hold a Master of Library Science degree from the University of Toronto (1978) and trained as a bookseller at Vancouver’s legendary Duthie Books between 1978 and 1982. 

Recent titles 

Gently to Nagasaki by Joy Kogawa

Dirty Windshields by Grant Lawrence

Journey after Midnight by Ujjal Dosanjh

Hunting the Northern Character by Tony Penikett

Embers by Richard Wagamese

The Dirt on Clean by Katherine Ashenburg

Mamaskatch by Darrel J. McLeod (forthcoming)

Earlier editing highlights 

419 by Will Ferguson

Something Fierce by Carmen Aguirre

Indian Horse by Richard Wagamese

No Way to Run by Holly Crichton

The Bite of the Mango by Mariatu Kamara with Susan McClelland

Chanda’s Secrets by Allan Stratton (made into the feature film Life, Above All)