Collection contains personal and professional papers relating to Howard Engel. These papers contain extensive material on the novels,
books, screenplays, playscripts and radio episodes of Engel. This notably includes drafts for all fourteen novels in the Benny Cooperman series, many including prolific drafts with holograph and editorial revisions. Also included in the collection are extensive drafts for Engel’s final Cooperman novel, Over the River, which was slated to be published in both 2016 and 2018 but was eventually cancelled by the publisher, along with the complete drafts for two unpublished Benny Cooperman novels, and partial drafts and outlines for three additional novels. In addition to his fictional writing, the archives include poetry, articles, reviews, and drafts and proofs for his works of non-fiction. In particular, there are extensive drafts for the memoir of his 2001 stroke, The Man Who Forgot How to Read, the book was originally intended as an autobiography and several earlier drafts exist which detail Engel’s childhood, adolescence and adulthood. During the process of recovering from his stroke, Engel became acquainted with Oliver Sacks, who would later pen an article on Engel in The New Yorker and would go-on to write the afterword of Engel’s memoir. Their extensive correspondence, along with several drafts of Sacks is also present. In addition to material related to Engel’s professional career as a writer, including photographs and press clippings, as well as speeches given over the course of several decades. Engel’s career as a journalist, writer and producer at the CBC is well-documented through scripts and research written or produced by Engel, which is further augmented by audio tapes and reels. The personal life of Engel is well-documented through a nearly complete set of diaries dating between 1991 and 2019, with additional diaries dating from the 1940s, 1950s, 1960s and 1980s, as well as photographs, mementos and through correspondence of a personal and professional nature. The collection contains manuscripts written by other writers, often sent to Engel for feedback or as gifts, this includes drafts or proofs from Kildare Dobbs, Mavis Gallant, Eric Wright and Jack Batten.