The ''Literary Review of Canada'' is a Canadian

magazine A magazine is a periodical publication, generally published on a regular schedule (often weekly or monthly), containing a variety of content. They are generally financed by advertising, purchase price, prepaid subscriptions, or by a combinatio ...

that publishes ten times a year in print and online. The magazine features essays and reviews of books on political, cultural, social, and literary topics, as well as original Canadian poetry.

History

The ''Literary Review of Canada'' was founded in 1991 in Toronto by Patrice Dutil and published for the first time in November 1991. In late 1996, after publishing fifty-five issues, Dutil sold the magazine to Carleton University Press. In 1998, the magazine was sold to partners

David Berlin David Zafrir Berlin (born May 14, 1951) is a Canadian editor, writer, politician, educator best known for being the co-founder and first editor of ''The Walrus'' from 2003 to 2004 and former editor and owner of the ''Literary Review of Canada'' fro ...

, Denis Deneau, and, later, Helen Walsh. Berlin left in 2001, the same year that Mark Lovewell joined as partner and eventually co-publisher. Deneau left in early 2003.

Bronwyn Drainie Bronwyn Drainie (born 1945) is a Canadian arts journalist. She was the editor-in-chief of the ''Literary Review of Canada'' from 2003 to 2015.Jacques Cartier Jacques Cartier ( , also , , ; br, Jakez Karter; 31 December 14911 September 1557) was a French- Breton maritime explorer for France. Jacques Cartier was the first European to describe and map the Gulf of Saint Lawrence and the shores of ...

's ''

Bref récit et succincte narration de la navigation faite en MDXXXV et MDXXXVI ''Bref.'' (stylized with a period; English: ''In short.'') is a French television series created by Kyan Khojandi, cowritten with Bruno Muschio, and produced by Harry Tordjman for My Box Productions. The first episode was released on Canal+ 29 A ...

'', published in 1545, and ending with

Jane Jacobs Jane Jacobs (''née'' Butzner; 4 May 1916 – 25 April 2006) was an American-Canadian journalist, author, theorist, and activist who influenced urban studies, sociology, and economics. Her book ''The Death and Life of Great American Cities'' ...

' '' Dark Age Ahead'', published in 2004. In September 2008, the magazine published the winning selection of its New Voices call for essays, "Progressivism's End" by David Eaves and Taylor Owen. Essays by Andrew Ng and John Robson were also published online. On its twenty-fifth anniversary, in the fall of 2016, the magazine published "The LRC 25" supplement, a selection of the most influential non-fiction books published in Canada during that time. The chosen titles were presented by Canadian luminaries like Niigan Sinclair,

Nahlah Ayed Nahlah Ayed (Arabic: نهله عَايِد) is a Canadian journalist, who is currently the host of the academic documentary program ''Ideas'' on CBC Radio One and a reporter with CBC News. She was previously a foreign correspondent with the netwo ...

and

Lee Maracle Bobbi Lee Maracle (born Marguerite Aline Carter; July 2, 1950November 11, 2021) was an Indigenous Canadian writer and academic of the Stó꞉lō nation. Born in North Vancouver, British Columbia, she left formal education after grade 8 to tra ...

. The thirtieth anniversary was marked with the November 2021 issue, the largest in the magazine's history. In 2019, the ''Literary Review of Canada'' relocated its offices to

Massey College Massey College is a graduate residential college at the University of Toronto that was established, built and partially endowed in 1962 by the Massey Foundation and officially opened in 1963, though women were not admitted until 1974. It was mo ...

in the

University of Toronto The University of Toronto (UToronto or U of T) is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, located on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution ...

. In May 2021, the magazine was nominated for Magazine of the Year (Art, Literary, and Culture) as part of the 202
National Magazine Awards
At the 2022 National Magazine Awards, it won Cover Grand Prix for its March 2021 cover, illustrated by David Parkins.

Readership

The magazine's audience tends to be upper-middle class and highly educated: 85 percent of readers are over forty-five; 61 percent have household incomes $100,000 or over; and 41 percent have PhDs.

Staff

Longtime publisher Helen Walsh stepped down in September 2017 and was replaced by board member Mark Lovewell. The current publisher is Eithne McCredie. The current managing editor is Michael Strizic. Past editors include founder Patrice Dutil,

, Lewis DeSoto, Anthony Westell,

Bronwyn Drainie Bronwyn Drainie (born 1945) is a Canadian arts journalist. She was the editor-in-chief of the ''Literary Review of Canada'' from 2003 to 2015.George Murray, Matt Williams, Fred Wah, and

Molly Peacock Molly Peacock (born Buffalo, New York 1947) is an American-Canadian poet, essayist, biographer and speaker, whose multi-genre literary life also includes memoir, short fiction, and a one-woman show. Career Peacock's latest book is Flower Diary ...

. Articles are illustrated by original artwork by illustrators such as Tina Seeman, Barbara Klunder, Tom Pokinko, Silvia Nickerson, Aino Anto, Kevin Sylvester, Clarke MacDonald, Aimee Van Drimmelin, and David Parkins. Photography has also been featured regularly since the magazine unveiled a complete redesign with the January/February 2020 issue. Board members are Julien Russell Brunet, Scott Griffin, Neena Gupta,

John Edward Macfarlane John Edward Macfarlane (born March 28, 1942) was the editor of the Canadian magazine ''The Walrus'' from 2008 to 2014. He previously served as editor of ''Toronto Life'' from 1992 to 2007. Born in Montreal, Quebec, he attended the University of ...

, Anna Porter, Richard Rooney, and David Staines. In addition to serving as editor-in-chief of the magazine, Kyle Wyatt is executive director of the Literary Review of Canada Charitable Foundation. Writers who have been published in the magazine include

Margaret Atwood Margaret Eleanor Atwood (born November 18, 1939) is a Canadian poet, novelist, literary critic, essayist, teacher, environmental activist, and inventor. Since 1961, she has published 18 books of poetry, 18 novels, 11 books of non-fiction, ...

Lloyd Axworthy Lloyd Norman Axworthy (born December 21, 1939) is a Canadian politician, elder statesman and academic. He served as Minister of Foreign Affairs in the Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Jean Chrétien. Following his retirement from parliament ...

John Bemrose John Bemrose is a Canadian arts journalist, novelist, poet and playwright. His arts reviews have appeared in ''Maclean's'', '' The Globe and Mail'', the ''National Post'' and on CBC Radio. Bemrose was born and raised in Paris, Ontario, where his ...

Conrad Black Conrad Moffat Black, Baron Black of Crossharbour (born 25 August 1944), is a Canadian-born British former newspaper publisher, businessman, and writer. His father was businessman George Montegu Black II, who had significant holdings in Canad ...

Lynn Crosbie Lynn Crosbie (born 7 August 1963) is a Canadian poet and novelist. She teaches at the University of Toronto. Life and career Crosbie was born in Montreal, Quebec, and now lives in Toronto, Ontario. She received her PhD in English from the Univer ...

, Patrice Dutil,

Charles Foran Charles William Foran (born August 2 1960) is a Canadian writer in Toronto, Ontario. Life and career Foran was born in August 1960 in Toronto, Ontario to a Franco-Ontarian mother and a father from an Ottawa Irish family. He attended Catholic e ...

Brad Fraser Brad Fraser (born June 28, 1959 in Edmonton, Alberta) is a Canadian playwright, screenwriter and cultural commentator.Gaetan Charlebois and Anne Nothof"Fraser, Brad" ''Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia'', June 2, 2019. He is one of the most widely pr ...

Marcus Gee Marcus Gee is an urban affairs columnist for '' The Globe and Mail'', Canada's largest national daily newspaper, which he joined in 1991. He was born in Toronto and graduated from the University of British Columbia in 1979 with a degree in modern ...

Michael Geist Michael Allen Geist (born July 11, 1968) is a Canadian academic, the Canada Research Chair in Internet and E-Commerce Law at the University of Ottawa and a member of the Centre for Law, Technology and Society. Geist was educated at the Univer ...

, Joan Givner,

Jack Granatstein Jack Lawrence Granatstein (May 21, 1939) is a Canadian historian who specializes in Canadian political and military history.SeJack Granatsteinfrom The Canadian Encyclopedia Education Born on May 21, 1939, in Toronto, Ontario, into a Jewish fam ...

Richard Gwyn Richard Gwyn (ca. 1537 – 15 October 1584), also known by his anglicised name, Richard White, was a Welsh teacher at illegal and underground schools and a Bard who wrote both Christian and satirical poetry in the Welsh language. A Rom ...

, Paul Knox, Andy Lamey,

Ezra Levant Ezra Isaac Levant (born February 20, 1972) is a Canadian conservative media personality, political activist, writer, broadcaster, and former lawyer. Levant is the founder and former publisher of the conservative magazine, The'' Western Standard''. ...

David M. Malone David M. Malone, born in 1954, is a Canadian author on international security and development, as well as a career diplomat. He is a former president of the International Peace Institute, and a frequently quoted expert on international affairs, es ...

, Alberto Manguel, Barbara McDougall,

David Macfarlane David Macfarlane (born 1952 in Hamilton, Ontario) is a Canadian journalist, playwright and novelist. His debut novel, 1999's '' Summer Gone'', was shortlisted for the Giller Prize and was a winner of the Books in Canada First Novel Award The Ama ...

Preston Manning Ernest Preston Manning (born June 10, 1942) is a Canadian retired politician. He was the founder and the only leader of the Reform Party of Canada, a Canadian federal political party that evolved into the Canadian Alliance in 2000 which in tur ...

Pankaj Mishra Pankaj Mishra FRSL (born 1969) is an Indian essayist and novelist. He was awarded the Windham–Campbell Prize for non-fiction in 2014. Early life and education Mishra was born in Jhansi, India. His father was a railway worker and trade unioni ...

, Alanna Mitchell, Christopher Moore,

Rex Murphy Rex Murphy (born March 1947) is a Canadian commentator and author, primarily on Canadian political and social matters. He was the regular host of CBC Radio One's ''Cross Country Checkup'', a nationwide call-in show, for 21 years before stepping d ...

, Sylvia Ostry, Gilles Paquet,

Bob Rae Robert Keith Rae (born August 2, 1948) is a Canadian diplomat and former politician who is the current Canadian Ambassador to the United Nations since 2020. He previously served as the 21st premier of Ontario from 1990 to 1995, leader of th ...

, Noah Richler, Kent Roach, Wade Rowland, Peter Russell,

John Ralston Saul John Ralston Saul (born June 19, 1947) is a Canadian writer, political philosopher, and public intellectual. Saul is most widely known for his writings on the nature of individualism, citizenship and the Public good (economics), public good; t ...

Janice Stein Janice Gross Stein (born 1943) is a Canadian political scientist and international relations expert. Stein is a specialist in Middle East area studies; negotiation theory; foreign policy decision-making; and international conflict management. S ...

Moez Surani Moez Surani (born April 10, 1979) is a Canadian poet and artist. He is the author of the poetry collections ''Reticent Bodies'' and ''Floating Life'', and the booklength poem ''عملية Operación Opération Operation 行动 Операция''. ...

Drew Hayden Taylor Drew Hayden Taylor (born 1 July 1962) is a Canadian playwright, author and journalist. Life and career Born in Curve Lake, Ontario, Taylor is part Ojibwe and part Caucasian. About his background Taylor says: "I plan to start my own nation. B ...

Michael Valpy Michael Granville Valpy (born 1942) is a Canadian journalist and author. He wrote for '' The Globe and Mail'' newspaper where he covered both political and human interest stories until leaving the newspaper in October, 2010. Through a long caree ...

, William Watson,

Jennifer Welsh Jennifer Welsh is a Canadian writer, consultant, and professor, specializing in the field of international relations. Welsh has a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and Economics from the University of Saskatchewan (1987). Welsh was named a Rho ...

and Zoe Whittall.

References

{{Reflist

External links

''Literary Review of Canada''
1991 establishments in Ontario Literary magazines published in Canada Magazines published in Toronto Magazines established in 1991 Ten times annually magazines