Canadian literature

Canadian literature in English began early in the 19th century in the Maritime Provinces with the humorous tales of T C Haliburton (1796-1865). Charles Heavysege (1816-1876) published poems combining psychological insight with Puritan values. The late 19th century brought the lyrical output of Charles G D Roberts, Bliss Carman (1861-1929), Archibald Lampman (1861-1899), and Duncan Campbell Scott (1862-1944). Realism in fiction developed with Frederick P Grove, Mazo de la Roche, creator of the ‘Jalna’ series, and Hugh MacLennan. Humour of worldwide appeal emerged in Stephen Leacock; Brian Moore, author of The Luck of Ginger Coffey (1960); and Mordecai Richler. Also widely read outside Canada was L M Montgomery (1874-1942), whose Anne of Green Gables (1908) became a children's classic. US novelist Saul Bellow and the communication theorist Marshall McLuhan were both Canadian-born, as were contemporary novelists Robertson Davies and Margaret Atwood.

Recent poetry and fiction, stimulated by journals such as The Canadian Forum (founded in 1920) and Canadian Fiction Magazine (founded in 1971) and by a growing number of literary prizes, has become increasingly international in outlook while also drawing attention to contemporary Canadian issues such as racial and linguistic minorities and the environment.