PUBLISHER SPOTLIGHT: Orca

Orca Book Publishers

Founded in 1984, Orca Book Publishers is an independently owned Canadian children’s book publisher of award-winning, bestselling books in a number of genres. Orca strives to produce books that illuminate the experiences of people of all ethnicities. With 1,000 titles in print.

Kirstie Hudson —

Nonfiction Editor at Orca Book Publishers

What kinds of nonfiction do you edit?

Right now, I'm acquiring titles for several middle-grade nonfiction series. Orca Footprints focuses on environmental and social justice topics such as overpopulation, deforestation, invasive species, and fair trade. Orca Wild is about profiling keystone species including orcas, sea otters, salmon, and beavers. Orca Think is a new series that looks at issues making headlines around the world, with the goal of giving kids the tools to think critically about topics such as homelessness, animal welfare, and the right to a healthy environment.

What is the benefit of having these books in series?

Reviewers and librarians tell us that Orca is known for the quality of its nonfiction research and design, and we look for authors who are passionate experts on the topics they write about. That means when you see nonfiction under the Orca series name, you know the quality of the material is high. Having the books in a series also enables librarians to include them on their automatic release purchases.

What have you learned along the way?

I learn something new with every nonfiction title I edit––that's what makes this job so exciting. The longest beaver dam in the world is 2,790 feet (850 meters) long––about the length of 30 NBA basketball courts laid end to end! I also discovered that humans use the equivalent resources of 1.7 Earths every year. There are connections to be made between any topic and the state of our world today––anything from climate change to activism to biodiversity to BIPOC and LGBTQ+ rights.

Favorite moment?

There are so many! I have a lot of conversations that start with “we should do a book for kids on…” food waste, activists, light pollution, voting, invasive species, or why humans have fun. It's exciting when a kernel of an idea turns into a fully realized book. And yes, all of those topics will be Orca books in the future! We also get to connect with people you might not expect. For an Orca Wild book on sea otters, the author reached out to the actress Dame Judi Dench for the foreword and she said yes. It turns out she's a passionate advocate for the animals.

What attracted you to editing nonfiction specifically?

I had an almost twenty-year career in journalism before coming to Orca. I've always loved uncovering a great story, so editing nonfiction feels like a natural fit for me. Only now I'm able to find those stories and think about how different topics can engage young readers to be active and compassionate citizens in their communities. What a privilege!

Kirstie Hudson is an editor and writer in Victoria, British Columbia. An award-winning reporter and producer with the CBC in Toronto, Vancouver, Prince Rupert and Victoria. She co-authored Picking Up the Pieces. A 2020 finalist for the City of Victoria Butler Book Prize and the Norma Fleck Award for Canadian Children’s Nonfiction.

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