The Penny University Imprint is for essay collections and creative nonfiction books.
In 17th Century London, the first coffee houses were nicknamed Penny Universities. Scientists, merchants, poets, and politicians used the coffee houses to meet in, converse, and even conduct experiments and demonstrations. The name came from the idea that you could get a university education from listening to the customers, all for the price of a one-penny cup of coffee.
This concept inspired the former Penny University Bookstore, and now this imprint as well!
Our Books:
Chapbook:
Musings from the Bookstore
In the Penny University Bookstore, we had a typewriter and a pile of loose old book pages. We encouraged people to type their thoughts or try their hand at black out poetry on the book pages. Every one of these acts of creativity that was left in the store, we treated as a ‘submission’, and once a year we published them into a little volume called “Musings from the Bookstore”. Click here to buy online.
Collection:
Remember When? By Joe Ralko
Remember When? is a collection of Joe Ralko’s 25 favourite columns he wrote for The Senior Paper.
November 1, 2024
Memoir:
Trouble Brewing by Annabel Townsend
Ten Years of Misadventures in Coffee.
This is not a success story.
It’s a tale of ten years in the coffee industry, of what happens when you take the leap, seize the day, and follow your dreams – then discover you don’t have any money, your landlord is an idiot, and the job you moved to another country for may not exist.
Annabel’s coffee adventures took her from a wet, dreary market in northern England to the Canadian Prairies via a PhD in Central America. Along the way, she learned her barista skills from a world champion barista, entertained teenagers with her coffee and culinary experiments, and discovered the joys of entrepreneurship almost by accident. She sorted bad beans from good ones on tiny farms in the highlands of Nicaragua and took home a tropical disease as a souvenir. Her business ventures have combined coffee with books, babies, bicycles, burlesque, and emigration bureaucracy, because what else do you do with a PhD in coffee? This is the real story of coffee entrepreneurship, with all the grim, impossible, frustrating, and messy bits left in.
Memoir:
One Woman’s Century by Kay Parley
Filled with insight, charming anecdotes, and fascinating snapshots from the past, ONE WOMAN’S CENTURY is a celebration of the life and work of Saskatchewan author and centenarian Kay Parley.
The book covers the full scope of her writings from the 1950s all the way to 2024. A remarkable, one-of-a-kind collection.
Manual:
Mapping an Understanding by Lloyd Hawkeye Robertson and Teela Robertson
How to visually represent the self in psychotherapy and research
Discover a transformative tool for therapy—memetic mapping.
Identify the meme’s (smallest units of culture) that make up the client. Learn to visually organize the parts of the clients self, clarifying what drives them, where they get stuck, and how to foster meaningful change.
Who It’s For:
Mental health professionals wanting a new way to work with identity, mood disruptions, trauma, and cultural intersections in therapy. Read it on your own, or join one of our training sessions.
Discovering Southwest Saskatchewan by Doug Cameron
In “Discovering Southwest Saskatchewan,” Doug Cameron invites readers on a journey through one of Canada’s hidden gems. This essential guide is designed for anyone eager to explore the stunning landscapes, vibrant communities, and rich cultural heritage of the region. Through Cameron’s intensive research, readers will uncover the natural wonders and unique experiences that make Southwest Saskatchewan a must-visit destination.
Cameron skillfully weaves together stories of the land, its peoples, and their journeys through time, offering a comprehensive overview that spans from prehistoric times to the present day. Whether you’re a seasoned traveller or a curious first-time visitor, this book provides essential insights for discovering the heart and soul of Southwest Saskatchewan.
COMING SOON:
Philosophy
Perspectives for a New Enlightenment, by George Hewson
Perspectives for a New Enlightenment, George Hewson offers readers a clear, engaging, and intellectually generous introduction to thirteen of the most pressing issues facing humanists today. Each chapter distills the essential considerations of its topic—art, democracy, science, First Peoples, economics, and more— providing a solid foundation for informed discussion without oversimplifying the complexity of the questions involved. Designed for both newcomers and seasoned humanists, the book equips readers to think critically and explore further, with every chapter concluding in an annotated bibliography that highlights diverse viewpoints and invites deeper research.
This is not a manifesto but a guide: a thoughtful companion for anyone committed to evidence, dialogue, and the ongoing pursuit of human understanding.
OUT JULY 18th
Memoir
Elaine, a Memoir by Cheryl Wilson
I wonder, if my mom knew that fateful October day would be her last on this earth; would she have done things differently?
Would she have gazed at herself a little longer in the morning mirror? Looked just a little more at the young beauty of her face, felt the curves of a wonderfully pregnant body, and smiled instead of groaned? Would the world-weary day ahead seem a little sweeter?
Following a fatal car crash that took her mother’s life in 1978, Cheryl has spent her life dealing with mother loss. From motherless daughter to motherless mother, Cheryl’s relationships, life struggles and healing journey has been stunningly captured in this book.
Pete's Press and Bookshop 