Fonds SC384 - Brian Brett fonds

Title and statement of responsibility area

Title proper

Brian Brett fonds

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    Fonds

    Reference code

    UVICSP SC384

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    Issuing jurisdiction and denomination (philatelic)

    Dates of creation area

    Date(s)

    • ? - 2000 (Creation)
      Creator
      Brett, Brian

    Physical description area

    Physical description

    6.5 m of textual records

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    Archival description area

    Name of creator

    Biographical history

    Brett was born in Vancouver. He studied literature at Simon Fraser University. For a number of years he lived in White Rock and became involved in civic politics in addition to his literary and publishing work. In the late 1980's, he moved to Salt Spring Island and settled there. He began writing at the age of 17 and has since published poetry, novels and short stories. In the early 1970's, he co-founded the Blackfish Press with Allan Safarik. This press brought out trade and limited edition art production books. Since leaving Blackfish Press in 1978, Brett continued this work in his own White Rhino Press. In addition, he has worked as a journalist/columnist and impresario, organizing poetry readings and events from White Rock and later Salt Spring Island, as well as working in the Writers in Electronic Residence (WIER) program. He has also been active in writer's politics and involved in controversy as a member of PEN, the Federation of B.C. Writers, the League of Canadian Poets and the Writers' Union of Canada (TWUC). His correspondence is full of drafts of his own and his correspondents' writing. During his career as a writer he has collaborated and interacted with other writers, many of whom became close friends. Most recently, Margaret Atwood has been helping Brett to edit a 400 page novel about an environmental terrorist.

    Custodial history

    Scope and content

    The fonds consists firstly, of correspondence from many well known writers such as Margaret Atwood, Doug Beardsley, bill bissett, George Bowering, Marilyn Bowering, Robert Bringhurst, Barry Callaghan, Lorna Crozier, William Deverell, Timothy Findley, John Glassco, Robert Harlow, David Homel, Patrick Lane, Dennis Lee, Charles Lillard, Dorothy Livesay, Susan Musgrave, John Newlove, Sharon Olds, Michael Ondaatje, P.K. Page, George Payerle, Al Purdy, Joe Rosenblatt, Jane Rule, Jane Urqhuhart, and Sean Virgo. It is arranged in alphabetic series. Secondly, there are prose and poetry manuscripts. These are roughly divided into poetry and prose, with some large sections of late drafts intact. Thirdly, there are materials relating to the Writer's Union of Canada, Writers in Electronic Residence, political press clippings, material about his libel trial, and miscellaneous printed material.

    Notes area

    Physical condition

    Immediate source of acquisition

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        Availability of other formats

        Restrictions on access

        Terms governing use, reproduction, and publication

        Temporarily, until the author has finished vetting them, correspondence files will open only with the permission of the author. When vetting has been completed, everything will be open except for a few letters which will be restricted for 50 years. (April, 2002)

        Finding aids

        Partial box list available.

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        Accruals

        General note

        Authors, Canadian--20th century--Correspondence; Canadian literature (English)--20th century; Canadian literature--20th century; Canadian poetry (English)--20th century; Canadian poetry--20th century

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        Dates of creation, revision and deletion

        Revised by JF, June 19, 2013.

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