In this post, we’ll be hearing from M.C. Joudrey. He tells us about his sources of inspiration, shares networking advice for new writers, and drops a few hints about his work in progress. Check out his bio:
M. C. Joudrey is an award winning Canadian writer, artist and designer. His second novel Of Violence and Cliché was released September 2013, followed by his collection of short stories Charleswood Road: Stories in August 2014, which was nominated for a 2015 John Hirsch Manitoba Book Award. His novel Fanonymous was released in 2019 and won the Independent Publisher gold medal for best work of fiction for Western Canada. It was also nominated for two Manitoba Book Awards, including the Margaret Laurence Award for best work of fiction. His forthcoming novel Marmalade Parade (Guernica Editions) releases May 2026. As a designer, his work has been awarded four Alcuin Design Book Awards and the Manuela Dias Manitoba Book Award for Design. He is also a bookbinder and a number of his works are held in galleries internationally.
Matt, you’re not just a bookbinder—you’re a bookmaker! You design and print books as well as do the layout in addition to the actual binding. You’re also known for using unconventional materials, such as stained glass, in this process. Tell us about your most ambitious bookmaking project to date. What sort of considerations went into the design and materials used?
I’m thinking about a book we are just starting to work on. I can’t say much, but it will be the most ambitious project we’ve done to date. What I can tell you is we will be taking our time with this one. It’s going to take a couple of years to see it to fruition. It will be challenging, to say the least, but exciting.
What inspires your book designs? Who are your mentors or role models in the business?
Everything is considered as inspiration. Magnificent things and trivial things, inanimate and alive, colour and halftones, sounds, smells, great design, bad design. It all inspires in some way. There’s no single person who serves as the bulk of inspiration, rather, an individual work that is scintillating, so much so that it shines without the sun.
In addition to creating and designing, you also write! What does your average day or work week look like? How do you find balance with so many roles to fill?
I don’t. I haven’t slept in 20 years. I’ll run until there’s no wax left.
Matt, you travel a fair amount, attending events such as the Frankfurter Buchmessein Germany. What books do you pack when flying? And do you read ebooks?
I used to pack too many books, thinking I need them all just in case. Now I pack two. One for the ride there. One for the ride home. I do not read eBooks, but I love that they serve other people’s needs very well. I love that you can adjust the point size for better viewing.
You’re also a publisher. Tell us about At Bay Press. What sort of writing do you publish? Do writers need to be agented?
They don’t need to be agented, but we get a lot of agented submissions these days. I can’t really say what type of work we publish, we just feel something electric and special about an author’s work that we know that book needs to be in the world.
Matt, what’s the most surprising comment you’ve received on your writing? How did it help you grow?
Not a comment, but I loved a review from years ago about Fanonymous where the reviewer really had no idea what to make of the book. They loved the prose and characters, but really struggled with the many open plot threads in the book. They thought nothing would ever get wrapped up and it would all be open ended. It was nice to know the efforts I put in had worked.
Tell us about your upcoming projects. What can we expect to see from you next?
We have 20 new titles scheduled for 2026. It will be a mix of Fiction (genre and literary), poetry, graphic novels, and always a few wonderful non-fiction titles.
Writing and bookmaking are generally solitary, but no artist can truly succeed alone. Tell us about the social and networking opportunities that you’re involved in. What advice do you have for new Canadian creatives who may be feeling isolated or intimidated?
Honestly the list is way too long, it’s like a Bugs Bunny cartoon when he unfurls a scroll and it tumbles on for miles, that’s how many people have been a part of my journey. To the new folks getting into the game, just remember there are new friends to be made. And that’s fun.
Is there anything else you’d like to share or promote?
I have a new novel coming out with the lovely people over at Guernica Editions (another amazing Canadian indie publishing house). It will be released in May 2026 and the title of the book is Marmalade Parade. I get a new book out about every seven years, so I’m really fast ha ha! I did some quick math and Fanonymous released almost seven years ago so I’m right on track.
Have someone in mind for an upcoming interview? Want to know more about an author or publisher? Start the conversation by commenting below. Like what you see? Remember to subscribe to have future blog posts delivered to your inbox.
Cover Image: Photo by Monica Silvestre on Pexels.com
Pauline Shen 