When Saskatoon-based Thistledown Press celebrated its 50th anniversary last year, it also passed a different, more subtle milestone: five years under the leadership of publisher JoAnn McCaig. 

And as McCaig and acquisitions editor Elizabeth Philips plot a course forward for the press, they are working to honour Thistledown’s long legacy while remaining open to fresh ideas.

After McCaig acquired Thistledown in October 2020 and brought Philips on, the pair hit the ground running. 

“The previous owners left us not one title in the pipeline for 2020 – not one,” McCaig recalls. 

“Liz Philips led the charge and acquired six titles in time for the fall 2021 season, a feat worthy of several laurel wreaths!”

Thankfully, they weren’t starting entirely from scratch. 

By that point, Thistledown, founded in 1975 and helmed for the previous two decades by siblings Al and Jackie Forrie, was already a mature press. 

“We have a deep backlist,” says Philips, “which requires attention and maintenance and also supplies us with some stability.”

McCaig and Philips recognize both the advantages and the challenges that come with running a storied Canadian literary press. 

“We are always looking to balance our wish to honour the history of the press and its legacy with what a publisher needs to do to stay viable in today’s publishing climate,” Philips notes. 

“We have to be open to different points of view, to innovations in style and content, and to diverse voices and radical ways of thinking.

“Of course,” she adds, “we are always mindful of our obligation to uphold the cultural side of the Truth and Reconciliation process.” 

Thistledown’s second-ever picture book, Kohkum’s Royal Bannock by Wilfred Burton, includes a full Michif translation and was featured on Saskatchewan Family Literacy Day in January 2026.

Since coming under McCaig’s ownership, the press has maintained a publishing schedule of six books per year. 

Thistledown keeps its list small intentionally, according to Philips, “so that we can give an artisanal level of attention to every phase of the editorial and production processes.”

Of those six annual titles, one will always be a volume of poetry. In its earliest years, in fact, Thistledown published poetry exclusively. 

“We are deeply committed to publishing poetry,” says Philips, and the poetry offering in their spring 2026 lineup is U ALIVE by Saskatchewan poet Chelsea Coupal. Since 2021, Thistledown has published primarily Saskatchewan poets.

This regional focus is actually part of the press’s efforts to reach a national audience. 

“Thistledown has a deep belief in the universal appeal of the Western [Canadian] voice,” Philips says, while also noting that they publish work by writers from across Canada in every genre: poetry, novels, short stories, and non-fiction, including memoir and lyric essays.

Together, McCaig and Philips bring another perspective to Thistledown: in addition to lengthy resumés in publishing, both are experienced writers themselves. 

“It’s a mixed blessing to sit on an editorial board and have to say no when I’ve faced rejection myself,” says McCaig. 

They are both still active in the writing sphere. 

Philips’s poetry collection The Time of Great Singing was recently released by Alberta’s Freehand Books, while McCaig’s novel Beneficiary will be available this spring from University of Calgary Press. 

“No one but another writer can appreciate the sheer effort, grit, and hope it takes to submit a manuscript to a publisher,” says McCaig.

Another pillar of Thistledown’s original mandate was publishing work by new authors. 

“Our commitment to providing a foothold for new and emerging writers remains,” says McCaig. 

In addition, she says, “we are committed to widening our scope even further to embrace greater diversity, to welcome marginalized voices, and to make room for inventive approaches to storytelling.”

Their approach seems to resonate with readers and critics alike. 

Connie Gault’s The Rasmussen Papers was shortlisted for the 2024 Toronto Book Awards – “What a rush to see the cover of the book on a downtown billboard in Canada’s largest city!” says McCaig – while Sharon Butala’s Leaving Wisdom won the 2023 Glengarry Prize, and Guy Vanderhaeghe’s Because Somebody Asked Me To won in two categories at the 2025 Saskatchewan Book Awards.

Looking forward, spring 2026 will see novels by Connie Gault (A Study in Red) and Brent van Staalduinen (The Peace Thieves), in addition to Coupal’s poetry collection. 

With its unique mix of historical legacy, literary quality, and forward-thinking innovation, Thistledown Press will continue to be a source of interest for readers throughout the Prairies and across Canada. 

“We’re not the only small press with 50 years under our belt, but we’re certainly the Prairie-est,” McCaig says. 

“And also, I think, the grittiest.”