Stan Bevington

Who is Stan Bevington?

Stan Bevington, C.M., D.F.A. In 1965, a young typesetter named Stan Bevington, newly transplanted to Toronto from Edmonton, rented an old coach house and installed an antique Challenge Gordon platen press. And so was born Coach House Press, which over the years introduced Canadians to the early works of writers such as bpNichol, Michael Ondaatje, Margaret Atwood, George Bowering, Di Brandt, Nicole Brossard, Frank Davey, Daphne Marlatt, Ann-Marie MacDonald, David McFadden and Anne Michaels.

Known for its advocacy of the avant-garde and for many author/artist collaborations, Coach House has published more than 500 titles since its inception, and prints more than 200 books a year for other presses, including catalogues for libraries and art galleries. As printing technology changed over time, Bevington invited collaboration with computer programmers. In 1996, Coach House launched an Digital distribution online series of ebooks as part of Stan’s current exploration in virtual publishing.

In the 1970s, Bevington lectured at York University and Rochester Visual Studies Workshop, and in the 1980s at the Banff Publishing workshops and Radcliffe at Harvard. He was awarded several Canada Council artists’ grants during this time and made the Coach House available as a printmaking studio for a number of Canadian artists. One of his own prints is in the Art Gallery of Ontario’s permanent collection.