On May 23, the Editors’ Association of Canada (Editors Canada) announced three finalists for the 2023 Tom Fairley Award for Editorial Excellence, and the Figure 1 team was delighted to see Editorial Director, Mike Leyne shortlisted.

Leyne was recognized for his work on Glory and Exile: Haida History Robes of Jut-ke-Nay Hazel Wilson by Robert Kardosh, Robin Laurence and Kün Jaad Dana Simeon, in collaboration with the Haida Gwaii Museum.

The Tom Fairley Award is presented annually by Editors Canada to an exceptional editor who played an important role in the success of a project completed in English or French.

The award jury’s citation reads in part:

“Most editors are good with words. Not all editors are equally blessed with the skills and qualities necessary to handle illustrated volumes. Michael Leyne is.”

“Glory and Exile: Haida History Robes of Jut-ke-Nay Hazel Wilson … gave him ample opportunity to demonstrate his obvious talents in this regard, of which the beauty of the final product speaks for itself.”

During two years of editorial work leading to the publication of the book — which fulfilled Jut-ke-Nay Hazel Wilson’s wish, expressed to her daughter Dana Simeon in Hazel’s final days, to share with the world her monumental History Robes series — Leyne wore the hats of photo researcher, substantive editor, copy editor and production editor.

For months, Leyne worked closely with Kardosh through the non-linear writing process of his essay “Waiting for The End of Time: Hazel Wilson’s Challenge to History,” which comprises much of the book’s text. “The careful thoughtfulness and sustained, loving attention of Robert’s prose powerfully conveys the uniqueness, magnitude, and depth of Hazel’s work,” says Leyne.

With Taa.uu ‘Yuuwans Nika Collison, executive director of the Haida Gwaii Museum, Leyne and Kardosh also worked to make judgement calls on how to present Hazel’s written texts in a way that respects her voice while enhancing clarity, and on the best treatment of historical or idiosyncratic versions of Haida place-names and other terms.

Mike Leyne was the recipient of the Tom Fairley Award for Editorial Excellence in 2022 for his work on Where the Power Is: Indigenous Perspectives on Northwest Coast Art by Karen Duffek, Bill McLennan and Jordan Wilson, in collaboration with the Museum of Anthropology, University of British Columbia. He was also a finalist in 2020 for his work on People
Among the People: The Public Art of Susan Point.

The winner will be announced at the awards banquet of the Editors Canada conference in Toronto, Ontario, on Saturday, June 17, 2023.