Say a big hello to Richie Ocean, our new production assistant! Richie joined the Page Two team this spring on a part-time contract and they have been hard at work supporting our cohort of project managers with various administrative tasks and assisting with author communications.

Richie holds a BA in anthropology from Concordia University and they are currently working toward a publishing certificate at Toronto Metropolitan University. Prior to joining us at Page Two, Richie worked as a production intern at Penguin Random House Canada.

Read on to learn which book Richie would recommend to a stranger on the subway.

Can you tell us a bit about yourself and your professional background?

I studied anthropology and gender and sexuality studies in my undergrad, and from there, meandering and knowing I wanted to work with books in some capacity, I eventually found the Publishing Certificate at TMU. Last year I had the chance to intern in the production department at Penguin Random House Canada, and fell in love with production right away, because it’s the perfect intersection between organization and creativity.

What excites you the most about your new role?

I love books as material objects, so I’m thrilled to be even a small part of the process of supporting and moving projects through from their raw materials into a finished product.

What’s your favourite book you’ve read in the last year and why?

M is for Monster by Talia Dutton. It’s queer, it’s Frankenstein-esque, and it explores questions of identity, self, and belonging, which are themes I always find myself drawn to. The art and the use of colour are very evocative—I love a gorgeous, eery, monochromatic palette.

If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you visit?

I’d love to visit New Zealand so I could go on so many gorgeous hikes.

What do you like to do in your downtime?

I like to spend time reading, making silly Procreate art, and learning about bike repair.