Erica Hendry was first involved in books in the late 1980s as a part-time bookseller at Vancouver’s Duthie Books while she attended UBC, which led to marketing and sales positions at Raincoast Books and Book Express (including a stint on the legendary Book Express News), and six years as a publishers’ rep with Siddall & Associates. The lure of international travel led Erica into video-game production next and she spent a decade as a project manager/producer on sports and adventure games.
Eager to pursue more community-focused work, Erica left video-games and completed a Master of Information Studies at the University of Toronto in 2012, where she was involved in research investigating how cultural institutions such as libraries, museums and archives could assist those with mild cognitive impairment. She graduated Beta Phi Mu — a society whose motto “Aliis inserviendo consumor” (Consumed in the service of others), she continues to find inspiring. Following graduate school Erica worked on various public and private sector information-related projects including several years in eCommerce.
A part-time offer from her childhood bookstore Hager Books lured Erica back into books in 2023. Knowing books was the right place, she took a sales rep position at Firefly Books in early 2024 prior to joining Read + Co in Fall 2024.