Canada Council names new writing and publishing head

The Canada Council for the Arts has named a new head of its writing and publishing section, which provides support for literary and cultural magazines, according to a post in Quill & Quire. Three months after the departure of Melanie Rutledge, Arash Mohtashami-Maali will take the new position on April 20. He is currently director of the French language, Ottawa-based, magazine Liaison and associated publisher Éditions L’Interligne.

Mohtashami-Maali is a published poet and president of Regroupement des éditeurs canadiens-français. He was born in Iran and completed part of his studies in Tehran, lived in France for 10 years and emigrated to Toronto in 1994. His first book of poetry was La Tour du silence.