Manuscript Collection MS00127C - Robyn Sarah Papers

Identity area

Reference code

CA OTUTF MS00127C

Title

Robyn Sarah Papers

Date(s)

  • 1975-2015 (Creation)

Level of description

Manuscript Collection

Extent and medium

12 boxes (2.5 metres)

Context area

Name of creator

(1949-)

Biographical history

Robyn Sarah was born in New York, NY in 1949, and grew up in Montréal, Québec. While studying English and Philosophy at McGill University, Sarah began writing poetry in the 1970s. In 1976, with Fred Louder, she co-founded a small press, Villeneuve Publications, and co-edited its poetry chapbook series. During this time, and until 1996, Sarah also taught English at Champlain Regional College in St. Lambert, Québec.
Sarah is a frequent contributor of poetry, fiction, interviews and essays to Canadian and American periodicals. The subject matter of these works ranges from literature and poetry to education and literacy. Sarah has also worked as an editor for a number of Canadian publishers, including Cormorant Books and House of Anansi Press. Sarah’s work has been widely recognized, winning the CBC literary competition for poetry in 1990, a National Magazine Award in 1994 for her short story Accept My Story, and her work Promise of Shelter was short-listed

Archival history

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Gift of Robyn Sarah, 2015

Content and structure area

Scope and content

Scope and content:
This collection contains drafts and proofs for a number of Sarah’s published monographs, including Little Eurekas (Biblioasis, 2007), A Day’s Grace (The Porcupine’s Quill, 2003), and The Touchstone: Poems New and Selected (Anansi, 1992), along with correspondence and drafts of Sarah’s contributions to the Porcupine’s Quill Essential Poets series, on Margaret Avison, Don Coles, and George Johnston. Also included are over sixty published examples of Sarah’s poetry, essays, interviews, and fiction, in Canadian and American periodicals such as The Malahat Review, ARC, The Threepenny Review, The Walrus, and The New Quarterly.
In addition, this collection includes correspondence, drafts and published versions of Sarah’s journalistic work, which has appeared in Canadian newspapers such as The Globe and Mail, The Montreal Gazette, and The Ottawa Citizen. Materials relating to Sarah’s editorial work for Cormorant Books and House of Anansi Press are also included, along with material pertaining to Sarah’s involvement in numerous literary events.
Contains series:

  1. Works published in periodicals and anthologies
  2. Manuscript proofs
  3. Literary events and appearances
  4. Interviews and general press
  5. Journalism
  6. The Porcupine’s Quill Essential Poets series
  7. Editorial work
  8. Miscellaneous

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

Material may be requested in person at the Fisher Library Reference Desk, or in advance using our online stack retrieval request form: https://fisher.library.utoronto.ca/stack-retrieval-request

Conditions governing reproduction

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

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Physical characteristics and technical requirements

Finding aids

Uploaded finding aid

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Existence and location of originals

Existence and location of copies

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Description control area

Description identifier

CA OTUTF MS COLL00127C

Institution identifier

Thomas Fisher Rare Book Library, University of Toronto

Rules and/or conventions used

Dates of creation revision deletion

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