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"Our vision as publishers is to preserve, promote and enhance the cultural heritage of Newfoundland and Labrador through books and new media formats adhering to the highest standards of excellence in expression of thought, creativity and imagination." Publishing in Newfoundland and Labrador, while rooted in tradition, is a relatively new industry. Settlement was officially discouraged on the island for more than 300 years, so it was not until 1807 that the first printing press arrived. For the remainder of the 19th century, the few books originating in Newfoundland were produced in newspaper offices or booksellers: almanacs, guidebooks and books of scenic photographs. Early in the 20th century, there were the beginnings of attempts to preserve the (largely oral) culture of Newfoundland and Labrador in locally published books. Especially noteworthy were the efforts of two men from the tiny village of King's Cove, Bonavista Bay; newspaper editor, Patrick K. Devine, and patent-medicine manufacturer, Gerald S. Doyle. The appearance of the first edition of Doyle's Old Time Songs and Poetry of Newfoundland in 1927 was a milestone in Newfoundland's cultural history-as an independent nation. Jesperson Press, whose owners retained the copyright to this songbook presented the rights to the folklore department of Memorial University of Newfoundland. During the Great Depression, Newfoundland's dire economic circumstances led to a suspension of democratic government and caused publishing to fall by the wayside as well. However, one landmark publication did come from the 1930's: the two-volume Books of Newfoundland (1937). The Books of Newfoundlandwere edited and compiled by journalist Joseph R. Smallwood, who became the first Premier of Newfoundland when it became a province of Canada fifty years ago in 1949. However, the "Smallwood Era" (1949-1971) in Newfoundland history was not noted as a time when our distinctive culture was encouraged. Rather, Newfoundlanders were officially "becoming Canadians." By the early 1970s many Newfoundlanders and Labradorians were concerned that steps needed to be taken to preserve Newfoundland's traditional culture, but to bring our cultural expression forward. Publishers Clyde Rose and Ivan Jesperson not only rode the crest of this wave, but helped create the groundswell of a Newfoundland cultural revival, through the founding of Breakwater Books and Jesperson Press. The industry took several steps forward in the 1980s. Harry Cuff Publications and Creative Publishers joined the ranks of professional publishing houses, and in 1985 the Newfoundland and Labrador Book Publishers Association was formed. While all houses continued to produce "the eclectic mix of cultural and literary titles" which have been the Newfoundland industry's trademark, Breakwater Books and Jesperson Press in particular began to enter the educational market. In the 1990s, the production of educational software and multimedia products was added to the product mix of Newfoundland publishing with the inception of Softwaves (a sister company to Breakwater), as well as numerous travel guidebooks and children's books. Cultural titles have remained an important component of each firm's list, with Harry Cuff Publications adding to its reputation for preserving local history by completing the five-volume Encyclopedia of Newfoundland and Labrador in 1994. The literary term "holdin' ground" of Newfoundland and Labrador book publishing has been well served as well. Notable achievements in this field of endeavour include Creative Publishers' literary imprint, Killick Press, and Bernice Morgan's critically acclaimed novels Random Passage and Waiting for Time, published by Breakwater Books.
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