Book launched at the House of Lords

Posted: December 12, 2014 9:45 a.m.

Author Ramin Johanbegloo was invited to Britain's upper house of Parliament to officially launch his book, "Time Will Say Nothing, A Philosopher Survives an Iranian Prison", published by U of R Press Photo: U of R Press

Britain’s upper house of Parliament is the setting for a most unusual book launch for University of Regina Press.

Author Ramin Johanbegloo was invited to Britain’s upper house of Parliament to officially launch his book, “Time Will Say Nothing, A Philosopher Survives an Iranian Prison”, published by U of R Press.

It’s Johanbegloo’s account of his imprisonment in his native Iran. He was arrested by authorities in April 2006 and held for four months. At the time, he found support from members of the House of Lords who called on Iran to release those who were unjustly detained.

Johanbegloo, now an associate professor of Political Science at York University in Toronto, chose to have his book published by U of R Press.

“I did want to be published by a Canadian press since I live in Canada,” says Johanbegloo.

What sealed the deal was the author’s friendship with Bruce Walsh, Executive Director of U of R Press.

“It has to do a lot with Bruce Walsh and the fact we knew each other. We always appreciated each other’s work. Bruce is a creative person and he had a lot of ideas,” says Johanbegloo. “The fact is we could understand each other and work together. This was the beginning of a long friendship.”

It is a friendship and a deal that is expected to broaden the appeal and profile of U of R Press.

“It has been a great working relationship,” says Walsh. “Ramin is published by some of the most important university presses in the world--including Harvard and Oxford--so it is a coup to be his publisher. Academic publishing houses in Canada don't normally get this type of attention, so it better positions us to attract top-notch scholars.”

This has been a year of accolades and awards for U of R Press. University of Regina Associate Professor Dr. James Daschuk was awarded the Governor General’s History Award for Scholarly Research for “Clearing the Plains”. Another U of R Press book, “Frontier Farewell”, topped Forward Reviews’ must read list of 2014 University Press books in the U.S.

 “Usually book launches are done in more academic surroundings. To have it in the House of Lords will be a big event for all of us,” says Jahanbegloo who describes his experience with U of R Press as “the best.”

 It’s an experience Bruce Walsh has enjoyed.

 “An academic press both advances scholarship and promotes its university, so it's a thrill that through this book, University of Regina will be feted at one of the most important institutions in the English-speaking world,” says Walsh.
 
You can get to know the work U of R Press produces at http://www.uofrpress.ca/