Rick Wilks, the co-founder of Annick Press, has been awarded the 2026 Janice E. Handford Award. Administered by the Ontario Book Publishers Organization (OBPO), the Handford Award was established in 1997 to recognize individuals who have advanced the cause of small and literary Canadian publishing.
Under Wilks' leadership, Annick has been nominated three times for the BOP – Bologna Prize for the Best Children’s Publishers of the Year, and their books have won numerous awards. They are a two-time winner of both the Geoffrey Bilson Award for Historical Fiction for Young People and the Amy Mathers Teen Book Award, and a six-time winner of the Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children's Non-Fiction. Other accolades include the TD Canadian Children's Literature Award, the Marilyn Baillie Picture Book Award, the John Spray Mystery Award, as well as numerous Governor General's Literary Awards.
Rick co-founded the National Reading Campaign alongside fellow publisher Patsy Aldana, served on the CCBC's board of directors in the early 90s, and most recently was a member of the scientific committee for the 40th IBBY World Congress, which was held in Ottawa in August 2026.
Congratulations, Rick!