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Established in 1975 to provide a literary outlet for Saskatchewan poetry, Coteau Books has since expanded its publishing mandate into the realms of fiction and drama.

Within its first two years of operation, the Regina-based publishing house produced two definitive anthologies: Number One Northern, which covered poetry from the Prairie province to the mid-1970s; and Sundogs, which did the same for short stories.

Today, with over 150 English-language titles in print and more than a dozen new titles coming off the press each year, Coteau Books has earned a national reputation for introducing readers from around the world to some of Canada's most gifted literary talents.

Seven of its books have been nominated for Governor General's Literary Awards and two have won. The late Anne Szumigalski's Voice won in the poetry category in 1995, and Gloria Sawai's collection of short stories set on the Prairies and entitled A Song for Nettie Johnson won in the fiction category in 2002. Coteau Books' writers also took home seven prizes at the 2003 Saskatchewan Book Awards, including Donald Ward, whose Nobody Goes to Earth Any More, was named Book of the Year.

Among Coteau Books' most anticipated new titles is Herstory 2004: The Canadian Women's Calendar. Produced by the Saskatoon Women's Calendar Collective since 1974, it's the latest edition of the Herstory series that details the lives and accomplishments of women, past and present, from all walks of life. A fine complement to the calendar is Inspiring Women: A Celebration of Herstory, a coffee-table-format book that celebrates 319 of Canada's most inspiring women. Both feature contemporary and archival photographs as part of the rich design for which Coteau Books is noted.

But while it has broadened its editorial scope, Coteau has retained the essence of its organizational structure. Formed as the publishing arm of Thunder Creek Publishing Cooperative by four poets, writers and schoolteachers with roots in Moose Jaw, Coteau Books (the "Coteau" named after the Missouri Coteau, an elevation of land that extends several hundred kilometres in south-central Saskatchewan) never has more than eight members at a time and remains a tight collective.

However, with strong sales in Canada, the United States, Australia and New Zealand, the Prairie publisher’s vision is increasingly global in bringing Canada's literary community to the world.

- Christopher Guly