It was a resounding success for everyone involved at this year’s Toronto Small Press Book Fair, held Saturday at the Gladstone Hotel.

The book fair, organized by the Small Press of Toronto (SPoT), is now in its 22nd year. Since 1990 it has been held bi-annually at different venues throughout the city. The fair serves as a venue for writers and graphic artists to get their work promoted and in the public eye, as their respective small-press publishers push for book sales and increased recognition for their artists.

Lisa Pasold, SPoT co-organizer for this year’s book fair, explained what the event does for emerging writers.

“Small press is important for Canadian literature,” she said. “(For) people doing zines and handmade books…getting their work out there is part of the crucial nature of Canadian lit. It’s a small population, but we’ve gotta get the work out there.”

Pasold describes a “diversity of voices” as one of the strengths of the Small Press Book Fair. With 63 exhibitors at this year’s event, there was no shortage of publications featuring poems, novellas, short story collections, essays, magazines, memoirs, graphic novels, comics, fiction and non-fiction books and even hand-stitched craft books.

Dave Proctor, author and founder of the alternative literature publication Wooden Rocket Press, found that he was well rewarded in his first year of joining the fair.

“I’m the first to argue with anyone that the great thing about the small press scene is seeing that other people have done it,” Proctor said. “It’s a great thing for artists and writers to look around and see how much can actually be accomplished.”

Proctor started writing his novella Blank State in April and had the first volume released by September. His books were printed at the University of Toronto presses, and he cited “the great people and very affordable prices” as major draws for him.

He also echoed Pasold’s thoughts on book store chains and their effect on Canadian writers who want to get published.

“Distribution is a huge issue (for small press writers) because independent stores…don’t have a lot of shelf space,” Pasold said.

The Small Press Book Fair continues to be one of the most anticipated events in the Toronto literary circuit because, according to Pasold, the event is “here to remind people that the small press is really essential.”

“There are fabulous voices here from people you can actually talk to,” she added.

Besides the sale of books and magazines at the fair, Saturday’s program also included writing workshops and readings by novelist Austin Clarke and poet A.F. Moritz.