Monthly Archives: February 2015

First to Achieve Most Governor-General’s Awards: Hugh MacLennan

(MacLennan signed letter on McGill stationery in response to comments on The Watch That Ends the Night; *all ephemera on this site are from my personal collection) (rare 1945  signed Collins White Circle Pocket ed.) (In the sixties, MacLennan turned … Continue reading

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Celebrating a Great Canadian Publisher

(100th anniversary of McClelland & Stewart appropriately celebrated by Canada Post)

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The Classic Canadian Poem Author

(1949 McClelland & Stewart dj; design: John A. Mall?; 1979 reprint; design: N.R. McInnes/Audience) (ultra-rare 3 LP series, each one signed,  from the 1980s featuring Birney reading with percussion group Nexus) (the 1942 G-G winning book that made Birney’s reputation … Continue reading

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Our First Major 20th Century Fiction Writer: The Great Morley Callaghan

(one of several magazines I have with Callaghan’s earliest published stories; this July 1928 Scribner’s introduces Callaghan as a new writer; stories: “Regret for Youth”, “A Predicament”) (from the same year, Callaghan’s first novel; scarce 1st ed. Scribner’s, 1928; dj … Continue reading

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A Montreal Poet-Anthologist

(beautiful clean dj of G-G winning book for poetry, Ryerson, 1943; designed by Thoreau MacDonald) (signed copy of A.J.M. Smith: Collected Poems; Oxford U Press, 1962) A.J.M. Smith–Arthur James Smith (1902-1980) was a member of the Montreal Group which included … Continue reading

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A Memorable Nature-Illustrator

(rare dj, McClelland & Stewart, 1930; the title page and facing page illustrations) (1938, Macmillan dj and illustrations done by MacDonald) (scarce 1938 Rhinehart dj and illustrations) (Ryerson, 1939 dj and illustrations by month) (illustration from Hurt Not the Earth … Continue reading

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Sarah Binks’ Creator

(clean 1st ed. of 1947 Oxford U Press ed. and bio blurb on back cover) (same book–tipped in–2 signed letters to friends Marjorie & Ferris Neave, one with a new, original personalized Binks’ poem) (Christmas card to Ferris from author … Continue reading

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2 G-Gs: A Toronto Gentleman Poet

(Finch’s first collection won the G-G Award for poetry; this is a rare signed; Oxford U Press, 1946) (another G-G winner for poetry; Oxford, 1959) (the above book was a very ltd. ed. of 100 signed copies) (Finch’s unique poem-extrapolations … Continue reading

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A Popular Female Manitoba Novelist

(rare 1937 signed letter from Ostenso) (Ostenso’s first award-winning book with blurb on back cover; McClelland & Stewart, 1925; it was adapted as a movie, making it–along with de la Roche’s Jalna and Hemon’s Maria Chapdelaine)–one of the first Canadian novels … Continue reading

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A Great Aboriginal Actor-Author

(Chief Dan George was featured in this well-done 2008 Canada Post issue on “Canadians in Hollywood The Sequel”) (Hancock House Publishers, 1974, 1st ed. dj) (same book–title page, rare signed) (1989 paperback; drawings by Helmut Hirnschall) Born in North Vancouver, … Continue reading

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