Founded in 1972 by Kirk Howard, Dundurn Press was named after Hamilton’s historic Dundurn Castle, located near where Mr. Howard grew up. At first a small publisher of Canadian nonfiction, the company expanded into other genres over time, acquiring Hounslow Press, Simon & Pierre, Boardwalk Books, Natural Heritage Books, XYZ Publishing, Napoleon & Company, Blue Butterfly Books, and Thomas Allen Publishers. After more than five decades of bringing Canadian stories to the world, and with over 2,600 titles in print, Dundurn Press is recognized for producing high quality, award-winning books across multiple genres.
Dundurn’s deep and layered backlist includes standouts in Canadian history, politics, sports, biography and memoir, lifestyle, true crime, mystery and thriller. With the launch of our Rare Machines imprint in 2021, Dundurn Press also publishes innovative literary fiction from emerging and established writers.
Building on its history and strengths, Dundurn Press — now based in Toronto, Ontario — has grown into one of Canada’s largest and most esteemed independent presses, publishing in a variety of genres with a focus on Canadian authors telling Canadian stories. Publishing authors from all corners of the country and beyond, the company is deeply rooted in the history, culture, and people of this land.
Dundurn Press remains committed to publishing debut and underrepresented voices in trade publishing. We invite you to step through the Dundurn portal, wherein we warmly welcome readers and writers — to our press, to our community, to the stories we publish.
Read with us. These are your stories.