The Library holds the University Library's reference collection of Canadian literature. From The New-Year Verses of the Printers Lad printed in Quebec in 1766 to the latest novel written by Margaret Atwood, the Library attempts to acquire all editions, and as many translations as possible, of literary works--poetry, fiction and drama--by Canadian authors.
Canadian literary manuscripts are also actively collected. Among earlier writers represented are Susanna Moodie, Archibald Lampman, and Duncan Campbell Scott. The extensive Mazo de la Roche papers contain the manuscripts for all her novels in addition to her voluminous correspondence. The papers of the imagist poet W.W.E. Ross, whose writings from between the wars presaged the modern poetry movement in Canada, were added to the collection in 1983. Contemporary Canadian writers whose papers are now in the Fisher Library include Margaret Atwood, Don Bailey, Earle Birney, Ernest Buckler, Leonard Cohen, Douglas Fetherling, Mavis Gallant, Graeme Gibson, Dennis Lee, Douglas LePan, Gwendolyn MacEwen, John Newlove, Josef Skvorecky, David Solway, Raymond Souster, Anne Wilkinson, and Eric Wright. The papers of the literary critic, W.A. Deacon, whose book page appeared regularly in Toronto newspapers for over forty years and exerted a strong influence throughout Canada, provide an invaluable resource for students of Canadian literary history from the 1920s to 1960. The papers of William French, his successor at The Globe and Mail, continue this resource to 1990. Further information may be found on the Manuscripts page.
One collection in the general field of Canadian literature is especially worthy of note for students of Canadian publishing and printing history as well as Canadian literature. The Graphic Publishers Collection contains the books, pamphlets, and ephemeral material issued by that firm and associated publishers in Ottawa from 1925 to 1932.