A conversation about publishing with Michael Hollett

For close to 40 years, Toronto’s Now Magazine has been one of North America's preeminent and successful cultural guides. But it  wasn't always that way. 18 months after launching Now Magazine was struggling and founders Michael Hollett and Alice Klein were hoping to find new investors to keep the doors open. One of the potential investors was City TV’s Moses Znaimer who pulled Michael aside one night at a party and said that he might be happier if you didn't accept a second round of money from investors.

Of all the people that I've interviewed so far, Michael Hollett is the one person most likely born into his profession. So, it only made sense to begin our conversation talking about his family's background in publishing.

Michael Hollett: I've been thinking about this stuff lately because it's a reflective time. And the first Christmas present I ever got was a Toronto Star metal delivery truck - a shipping truck.The first Christmas party I ever went to was at the Toronto Press Club.  My grandfather was an editor at the Telegram. And my father was a writer, photographer and cartoonist at the Star. My mother freelanced at all of those papers and Maclean's. And my grandmother, my mother's mother, was also a freelancer. My parents met at a newspaper in Hamilton. And when I go to the Exhibition, I don't know if you know this but there's a building, a beautiful building to me called the Press Building. And my grandfather, conflict rules were a little different back then, also did P.R. for the Ex in the summers. I would visit him in the Press Building and there was a little balcony and I would stand there with him looking out over the Ex thinking this newspaper business is all right.

Steve Waxman: (laughing) So, were you conceived on a stack of Toronto Stars?

Michael Hollett: (laughing) Just about, man. Just about.

For the full transcript of this episode visit imstevewaxman.com

Michael Hollett left NOW Magazine in 2016 to concentrate on running the North By Northeast Festival. He’s now working towards launching a new print paper. If you’d like more information about North By Northeast, please visit nxne.com

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