Category Archives: Uncategorized

(Ryerson 1962 pb) (rare signed Talonbooks/Macmillan 1971 pb) James (Crerar) Reaney 1926-2008) was born near Stratford, ON and studied with Northrop Frye. He had a child-like imagination and imagery as evidenced in his plays Listen to the Wind (1972) and … Continue reading →

(NC Press, 1975 pb, GG Award winner, 1976) ‘Canada’s People Poet’ Milton (James Rhode) Acorn (1923-1986) was originally from Charlottetown, P.E.I. He was wounded by a depth-charge returning from WWII. Acorn lived in the Waverly Hotel, T.O. for several years … Continue reading →

(Ryerson dj, 1964, GG winner) Raymond (Holmes) Souster (1921-2012) was born and lived in Toronto, and was employed by CIBC. Initially, he worked with Irving Layton and Louis Dudek, editing the legendary Contact (1952-1954) and Combustion (1957-1960) magazines. Writing about ordinary … Continue reading →

(Ryerson, 1963 dj; photo: Andre Larose; illustrations: Canadian Eskimo Art; Dept. of Northern Affairs & National Resources) Yves Theriault (1915-1983) was born in Quebec City and educated in Montreal, later working for NFB. He was a professional writer of over … Continue reading →

(left: McClelland & Stewart, pb, 1969; centre: copy of Frank Newfeld’s original design, uncolored; right: signed Watson) Sheila (Martin) Watson (1909-1998) was a long-time fiction writer, professor and critic. Her Double Hook (1959) was called the first contemporary novel in Canada. She … Continue reading →

(rare signed 1942 Doubleday dj) (Harlequin, 1951 pb; cover: illustrator Hammon?) Thomas (Head) Raddall (1903-1994) was born at the quarters of the British Army School of Musketry near Folkestone, England where his father was a machine gun instructor, then moved … Continue reading →

(McClelland & Stewart, 1963 dj) Roy Daniells (1902-1979) was born in London, England and taught at U of MB and U of T before ending up at UBC from which he retired in 1974. Daniells was a poetic technician and … Continue reading →

(Governor General Winner for nonfiction; Longmans, Green & Co., 1942 dj; design: Robert Josephy, author photo: the great Karsh) (William) Bruce Hutchison (1901-1992) resided in Victoria and reported on the political scene in Ottawa. He was also well-known in journalistic … Continue reading →

(Macmillan, 1948 scarce dj) L(ouis) A(lexander) MacKay (1901-1982) was born in Western Ontario, educated in Toronto, and became a Rhodes Scholar, at Oxford. He taught Classics at UBC and Latin at the U of California. A witty satirical poet, MacKay is best … Continue reading →

(Macmillan 1940 dj–Governor General Award for fiction) ‘Ringuet’–Philippe Panneton (1895-1966) was a native of Montreal whose ancestors first came to Three Rivers, PQ in 1640 and 1688. Panneton was a reporter, studied medicine, and became an eye specialist. The book … Continue reading →