Since World War II a major force in contributing to the vitality of Canadian literature has been the poet, publisher, translator, and critic Fred Cogswell. As the guiding power behind Fiddlehead Press of Fredericton, New Brunswick, until 1981, he was responsible for the publication of more than three hundred titles and gave unstinting support to promising young writers. He has written extensively on Canadian literature, exploring the contributions of such major figures as T. C. Haliburton, Charles G. D. Roberts, F. R. Scott, and E. J. Pratt, and he has been effective in developing an overview of Atlantic Canada's literary-cultural life in the nineteenth century. His own work as a poet has earned him a place in contemporary poetry circles, while his translations of French-Canadian verse have helped to bridge the gap between the two main language groups in the country.

The son of Walter Scott and Florence White...