The fonds documents Mark Abley’s career as a writer from 1972 to 2015 and his contribution to the Canadian literary culture. It reflects his work as journalist, especially for La Gazette, and his freelance writing in the fields of journalism, poetry, children’s books, editing, and non-fiction books. Furthermore, the fonds illustrates Abley’s various ways to give on his passion, be it through lectures, workshops, conferences, school visits or even religious services.
Finally, the fonds gives an insight into English literature from Quebec, especially poetry, dating from the 1970s to 2014, mainly through a collection of chapbooks and monographies, which are all signed by the authors. This collection is completed by several literary magazines and issues of Ogmios, the Journal of the Foundation for Endangered Languages.
The subjects of endangered languages and English as part of Quebec’s language culture have been repeatedly treated by Abley and can be found throughout the fonds.
The fonds also includes interviews that Abley conducted within the scope of his research with several English-speaking writers, such as Jane Goodall, Henry Kissinger, and others.
The fonds contains published as much as unpublished materials.
The fonds is organized into the following series:
P182/A Journalistic career
P182/B Freelance writer
P182/C Awards and scholarships
P182/D Outreach
P182/E Contacts with fellow writers
P182/F Literary publications by other authors
The fonds contains, but is not limited to, correspondence, drafts, drawings, photographs, invitations, articles, notes, literary texts, posters, chapbooks, publications, reports, sound recordings, ID-cards, comments, contracts, a grant application, research material, reviews, agreements, mock-up covers, publicity material, proposals, a score, proofs, a class paper, programs, brochures, handouts, agendas, an address book, CVs, biographies, outlines, interviews, lectures, policies, speeches, a video, a multi-media production, and a seed package.
