Anna Porter

Who is Anna Porter?

Anna Maria Porter, OC OOnt is a Canadian publisher and novelist.

Born Anna Szigethy in Budapest, she emigrated to New Zealand in 1956 to escape the Revolution. She received a Bachelor degree and Master of Arts degree from the University of Canterbury. She started at McClelland & Stewart in 1969 and became president and publisher of Seal Books. In 1982, she founded Key Porter Books and in 1986 she purchased a majority stake in Doubleday Canada. She remains one of the most respected publishing professionals.

In 2004, she was appointed to the Board of Governors of York University.

In 1991, she was made an Officer of the Order of Canada for being "instrumental in bringing Canadian titles to the attention of the international market place". In 2003, she was awarded the Order of Ontario. She has been awarded honorary degrees from Ryerson University, St. Mary's University, and the Law Society of Upper Canada.

In 2004 Porter sold her interest in Key Porter Books to focus on writing. She has published three mystery novels and three books on Middle European history. Her most recent book is The Ghosts of Europe, published in September, 2010.