Jared Bland

Career Trajectory: Bridging Literary Excellence and Social Impact

We’ve followed Jared Bland’s career as a pivotal figure in Canadian publishing and cultural journalism. His journey began at The Globe and Mail, where he served as Arts editor, shaping coverage of literature, visual arts, and theater. Bland’s editorial vision prioritized elevating underrepresented voices, a theme that defined his transition to book publishing. In 2016, he joined Penguin Random House Canada (PRHC) as publisher of McClelland & Stewart (M&S), one of Canada’s most storied literary imprints. Under his leadership, M&S amplified Indigenous authors like Omar El Akkad and Jordan Abel, while maintaining relationships with literary icons such as Anne Michaels and Jane Urquhart.

Key Career Milestones

• 2016–2023: As M&S publisher, Bland acquired works that redefined Canadian literary identity, including Jordan Abel’s Griffin Poetry Prize-winning Injun and Elamin Abdelmahmoud’s memoir Son of Elsewhere.
• 2021: Spearheaded the Decolonizing Publishing initiative with literary agent Stephanie Sinclair, creating industry-wide dialogues on Indigenous representation.
• 2023–Present: Promoted to Vice President, Communications and Community at PRHC, overseeing author advocacy and public engagement strategies.

Representative Works

Publishing in Canada 2022: PRH Canada Is Working to Decolonize Publishing

This 2022 Publishers Weekly feature highlights Bland’s collaboration with Indigenous creators to address systemic gaps in representation. The article details his role in curating the anthology Carving Space, which compiles letters from Indigenous leaders to ancestors and future generations. Bland’s approach combined traditional editorial rigor with community-led storytelling frameworks, ensuring authenticity in narratives about residential schools and cultural reclamation. The project’s impact extended beyond literature, influencing educational curricula and museum exhibitions.

Industry Leaders - Publishing

In this 2023 profile, Bland outlines his philosophy of “publishing as public service,” emphasizing the need for accessibility in literary spaces. He discusses initiatives like PRHC’s partnership with Indigenous libraries and mentorship programs for First Nations editors. The piece underscores his advocacy for equitable royalty structures and transparent author contracts, which have become industry benchmarks.

Helen Tworkov & Jared Bland - NSE #1051

Bland’s 2024 conversation with Helen Tworkov, founder of Tricycle: The Buddhist Review, explores the intersection of spirituality and storytelling. He analyzes how mindfulness practices influence editorial decision-making, particularly in memoirs dealing with trauma. The discussion also touches on Bland’s efforts to diversify M&S’s list by acquiring works from refugee and immigrant authors.

Pitching Recommendations

1. Propose Indigenous-Led Nonfiction Projects

Bland seeks manuscripts that center Indigenous epistemologies, particularly from writers addressing land stewardship or linguistic preservation. His acquisition of Alicia Elliott’s A Mind Spread Out on the Ground demonstrates his preference for narratives that blend personal memoir with systemic critique. Pitches should include detailed community engagement plans, such as partnerships with Indigenous elders or educators.

2. Highlight Canadian Cultural Hybridity

Stories exploring multicultural identity in urban centers like Toronto or Montréal resonate strongly. Bland’s work with Elamin Abdelmahmoud on Son of Elsewhere—a memoir of Sudanese-Canadian upbringing—exemplifies his interest in diasporic narratives. Include comparative analysis with titles like Rawi Hage’s Beirut Hellfire Society to contextualize your project.

3. Avoid Genre Fiction Pitches

While Bland occasionally acquires literary fiction, he prioritizes works with sociopolitical relevance over commercial genres. His list lacks thrillers, romance, or speculative fiction, focusing instead on structurally innovative novels like Ian Williams’ Reproduction, which experiments with typography to explore racial dynamics.

4. Emphasize Editorial Collaboration

Bland values authors open to developmental editing, particularly for debuts. His editing of Zoe Whittall’s The Spectacular involved 18 months of revisions to refine its exploration of gender nonconformity. Include a sample chapter with margin notes demonstrating receptiveness to feedback.

5. Leverage Interdisciplinary Angles

Projects bridging literature with other arts—e.g., a novelist collaborating with a visual artist on a graphic memoir—align with Bland’s curation of multidisciplinary anthologies. Reference his work on Portage, a collection pairing writers like Madeleine Thien with composers and painters.

Awards and Achievements

• 2023 CBC Literary Prize Juror: Bland’s selection as a judge for Canada’s premier literary award reflects his reputation for identifying avant-garde voices. His panel highlighted experimental works by LGBTQ+ and disabled writers, shifting the prize’s historic focus toward inclusivity.
• 2022 Indigenous Voices Award Co-Founder: This initiative, developed with Cree-Métis scholar Deanna Reder, provides grants and mentorship to unpublished Indigenous authors. Its alumni include Billy-Ray Belcourt and Tanya Tagaq.
• 2021 National Newspaper Award for Arts Reporting: Won during his tenure at The Globe and Mail for a series critiquing federal arts funding disparities. The judges praised his integration of data journalism with grassroots artist testimonials.