The fonds consists of manuscripts published and unpublished, which include juvenilia, poetry and story drafts, and the author's annual holograph gatherings of completed poems. The fonds includes public addresses, children's stories, periodical off prints, page proofs of A Dryad in Nanaimo, reviews, family and biographical items, photographs, certificates, recordings of poems set to music, a printers plate, biographical material, and correspondence. Correspondence includes 34 letters from former Prime Minister Robert Borden. Artwork often accompanies juvenilia verse and later children's stories; the media used include: ink on paper illustrations, pencil sketches, and watercolour drawings. Newspaper clippings include the author's columns, stories and poems. Also included are photocopies of 60 letters written by Audrey Brown to Professor Pelham Edgar (1929-47). The originals are in the Pelham Edgar collection at Victoria University, Toronto. The fonds also consists of: newspaper clippings and biographical material re Audrey Alexandra Brown and her family; correspondence between Brown and Pelham Edgar; correspondence between Brown and Earle Birney; correspondence from Martin Burrell to Pelham Edgar re Brown; manuscripts by Brown.

The fonds consists of correspondence; manuscripts of plays, short stories, novels and poetry; newspaper articles; essays in German and English; plus photographs and negatives.

The fonds consists of records of Herbert Thomas John Coleman, including worksheets of his poetry and prose (also including two poems and an essay by his brother, Rufus Arthur Coleman); Coleman family photographs and negatives, financial records and certificates; correspondence from Coleman to other family members; scrapbooks of Coleman's poems, clippings and brochures; academic journals containing essays by Coleman and copies of Coleman's illustrated books for children, containing holograph inscriptions and extensive annotations.

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.

The fonds consists of material relating to the production of his books, including correspondence, drafts and proofs. The fonds include Partridge's children's novel Thunderbird (1979), campus centred satirical short stories: Civil Distubances (2000) and Partridge's edition of the novel Will Warburton (1981), by George Gissing. There are also 2 letters from Hugh MacDiarmid (1958), and lecture notes from Dorothy Livesay.

The fonds consists of material relating to book reviews by Russell, including Russell's correspondence with Howard Gerwing and Russell's articles about George Cuomo, Robin Skelton, Stanley Cooperman, John Newlove, and Liam O'Flaherty; and, drafts of Russell's unpublished novels and short stories.