Stephanie Sinclair — Reconciliation through Publishing and Storytelling

In this episode of Ampersand, our CEO and host Caitlin Kealey sits down with Stephanie Sinclair, the publisher of McClelland & Stewart, to discuss the role of publishing and storytelling in advancing truth and reconciliation.

Stephanie shares her personal journey of understanding her own mixed heritage — Cree and Ojibwe on her father's side, and German Jewish on her mother's — and how the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) helped her reckon with her own inheritance. The conversation explores how the publishing industry has responded to the Calls to Action, the growing roster of Indigenous writers being published in Canada, and the significant work still needed to bring Indigenous voices into publishing offices, classrooms, and communities. Stephanie also reflects on the challenge of denialism, the power of storytelling as a path to healing, and her vision for what the next 10 years of reconciliation could look like.

This season of Ampersand is dedicated to the 10th anniversary of the TRC and explores its lasting impacts. Through conversations with Survivors, scholars, and advocates, this season reflects on the progress made since the TRC’s final report and Calls to Action, while also addressing the challenges that remain.

Watch the interview on Youtube.

This podcast is a project of Emdash, an agency that builds campaigns and brands for social change.

This podcast is a project of Emdash, the small agency focused on big impact helping progressives be heard.