About the Author

Carl F. Klinck (1908-1990) was a Canadian literary historian and academic. In 1928, he became an associate professor of English at Waterloo College, becoming head of the department in 1940. From 1943 to 1948, he was the Dean of Waterloo College. He was the general editor of Literary History of Canada in 1965.

Alfred G. Bailey (1905-1997) was an ethnohistorian, anthropologist, university builder and administrator, and among the first of Canada's "modernist" poets. He was Honorary Librarian and CEO of the University of New Brunswick Library from 1946 to 1959. From 1946 to 1964, he was the first Dean of Arts at UNB, and from 1965 to 1969, he was Vice President Academic. He retired in 1970.

Claude Bissell (1916-2000) was a Canadian author and educator. In 1952 he was made assistant professor at the University of Toronto. From 1956 to 1958 he was president of Carleton College (now Carleton University), and returned to the University of Toronto in 1958 to become the eighth president from 1958 to 1971.

Roy Daniells (1902-1979) was a Canadian poetry professor. In 1965, Daniells was named the first University Professor of English Language and Literature. He helped build the University of British Columbia's creative writing department and fostered the careers of several major Canadian writers.

Northrop Frye (1912-1991) was one of the twentieth century's most influential English scholars and literary critics. Northrop Frye was a professor in the Department of English at Victoria University in the University of Toronto from 1939 until his death. His works include Words with Power and Anatomy of Criticism.

Desmond Pacey (1917-1975) was a pioneer of Canadian literary criticism. He was also a notable author of verse and short fiction and a long-time university administrator – as dean of graduate studies, as academic vice president, and as acting president – until his death in 1975. He was awarded the Lorne Pierce Medal by the Royal Society of Canada in 1972.

Reviews

'Brilliant' (Saturday Night) 'The variety of theme – there are chapters on history, philosophy, travel books, animal stories, and children's books as well as on the conventional poetry, novels, drama, and belles-lettres – and the freshness and vigour of writing, based for the most part on the original investigations of the authors, combine to produce a volume which is itself an important event in Canadian literary history ... No one can fail to be grateful for the labour and learning which have gone into the production of a remarkable contribution to our cultural and intellectual history.' - Hilda Neatby (The Canadian Historical Review) 'Delightfully readable ... Ideal for courses in Canadian literature, the book should be read by every English major. Strongly recommended to all libraries.' (Choice) ' ... this book performs a rare and valuable service: it relates literature to the culture and history of the land.' (Library Journal)