Major John Richardson, whom I brought out of the forgotten past in my biography The Canadian Don Quixote; the Life and Works of Major John Richardson, Canada’s first novelist remains for me a work in progress. I begin this volume with essays concerning his works and activities which I discovered after the 2nd edition of the biography appeared in 2004. Of the other authors I selected—Herman Whitaker, Wyndham Lewis and Thomas Costain lived in either England or the United States. Frederick Philip Grove from Germany lived by necessity in Manitoba, Malcolm Lowry from England became a domiciled Canadian, Norman Newton, born Canadian, lived in British Columbia, Jaimie Brown, a Canadian, eventually practised his artistry in England, and I, born Canadian, spent 40 years out of the country before returning to a greatly improved art scene.

These essays address the writings as well as the personalities of the authors and thus may show how the one influenced the other.