John Desmond Peter was born in South Africa in 1921. He obtained a B.A. and an LL.B. from Rhodes University, a B.A. and M.A. from Cantab., a D.Litt. from the University of South Africa and a D.Litt. from Rhodes University. He came to Canada in 1950 and was Associate Professor and later Professor of English at the University of Manitoba. By the time he joined the Victoria College Dept. of English in September 1961, Professor Peter had become an internationally renowned literary critic, a witty speaker and a popular teacher.
Professor Peter published his first book in 1956, a study of medieval satire, which is still regarded as the authority on that subject. He also published studies of Milton, T.S. Eliot and William Golding. Three of his articles for F.R. Leavis' Scrutiny were included in the two-volume anthology, Selection. In 1964 his first novel, Along That Coast, set in South Africa, was published by Doubleday and was awarded Doubleday's Canadian Novel Prize. He published two more novels, Take Hands at Winter (1967) and Runaway (1969) which received generally good reviews.
Professor Peter served as Commonwealth Visiting Professor (which does not involve any teaching duties) at Oxford University for 1966-1967; he spent that year at Corpus Christi College researching English literature of the Renaissance and modern periods. He also held visiting professorships at the Universities of Wisconsin and Massachusetts, and served as a member of the selection committee for the Woodrow Wilson and Canada Council Doctoral Fellowships.
At U. Vic., Professor Peter was active in the English Dept. during its years of expansion in the 1960's and early 1970's. He helped establish both the Honours and Graduate programmes, and in 1967-1968 served as Acting Head of the Department. He was a founding member of the Canadian Association of University Teachers (CAUT) and the Writers' Union of Canada, on whose national executive he served as a B.C. Councillor, and was founding co-editor, with Robin Skelton, of the Malahat Review. Professor Peter also published a collection of short stories and was working on a fourth novel at the time of his death in 1983.
Published
Full
Final
john-peter-fonds-2
Titled based on contents of fonds.
The fonds consists of records relating to Peter's teaching and research activities, including research grant applications, letters of recommendation and lists of bibliographic citations; notes, outlines, fragments, notebooks, manuscripts and galleys for "Along That Coast", "Take Hands at Winter" and "Runaway", as well as unpublished novels by Peter and correspondence with publishers regarding "Along That Coast" and "Runaway". The fonds include a small amount of material relating to Professor Peter's research and teaching activities, but primarily they document his writing activities, particularly the preparation of his novels, as well as unpublished works of fiction and essays.
Further accruals are unlikely; however, this inventory will be updated as required.
The records of John Peter were acquired by the University Archives from Professor Peter in 1969 and 1970, and in 1983 from the John Peter estate.
Inventory available with series and file level control.
Accession 69-2, Boxes 1-2
Accession 70-2, Boxes 1-3
Accession 83-190, Boxes 1-3, Box 4, Files 1-3
Published
Consists of notes, outlines, fragments, notebooks, mss. and galleys for Along That Coast (published 1964), Take Hands at Winter (1967) and Runaway (1969), as well other unpublished works by Peter, "The Phoenix in its Flames" (ca. 1958) and "Radix Malorum" (1963-1964). Includes correspondence with Doubleday & Co., New York, and Doubleday Canada, regarding Along That Coast and Runaway.
Arranged alphabetically.
Accession 1969-002, Box 1, Folder 1
Published
Outline, notes, fragments of chapters. 1961-1962.
Accession 1969-002, Box 1, Folder 2
Published
Vol. I. Hol. ms. in coil-bound notebook, p. 1-53.
Accession 1969-002, Box 1, Folder 3
Published
Vol. II. Hol. ms. in coil-bound notebook, p. 54-110.
Accession 1969-002, Box 1, Folder 4
Published
Vol. III. Hol. ms. in coil-bound notebook, p. 111-162.
Accession 1969-002, Box 1, Folder 5
Published
Vol. IV. Hol. ms. in coil-bound notebook, p. 163-216.
Accession 1969-002, Box 1, Folder 6
Published
Vol. V. Hol. ms. in coil-bound notebook, p. 217-265.
Accession 1969-002, Box 1, Folder 7
Published
Vol. VI. Hol. ms. in coil-bound notebook, p. 266-304; revision of Chapter 5, 2 p.
Accession 1969-002, Box 1, Folder 8
Published
New inserts, revisions. Hol. ms. in coil-bound notebook, 15 p. May 1963.
Accession 1969-002, Box 1, Folder 9
Published
Ts. with hol. revisions, 234 p.
Accession 1969-002, Box 1, Folder 10
Published
Variant pages.
Accession 1969-002, Box 2, Folder 1
Published
Setting copy, reader's galleys, reader's pages. January 1964.
Accession 1969-002, Box 2, Folder 2
Published
Correspondence with Doubleday & Co. and with other authors; clippings of reviews. January 1963 - September 1964.
Accession 1969-002, Box 2, Folder 3
Published
Correspondence with Doubleday & Co.; memo of agreement with Doubleday; clippings of reviews. September 1964 - June 1966.
Accession 1970-002, Box 1, Folder 1
Published
Vol. I, begun 3 November 1965. Hol. ms. in coil-bound notebook, p. 1-29.
Accession 1970-002, Box 1, Folder 2
Published
Vol. II, p. 30-79.
Accession 1970-002, Box 1, Folder 3
Published
Vol. III, p. 80-132.
Accession 1970-002, Box 1, Folder 4
Published
Vol. IV, p. 133-185.
Accession 1970-002, Box 1, Folder 5
Published
Vol. V, p. 186-236.
Accession 1970-002, Box 1, Folder 6
Published
Vol. VI, p. 237-272; "A Note on John Piper's Towers and Churches", 9 July 1967, 5 p.; "O Canada" review, 14 July 1967, 5 p.
Accession 1970-002, Box 1, Folder 7
Published
Notes, outlines, fragments.
Accession 1970-002, Box 1, Folder 8
Published
Early draft. Notes, ts. with hol. rev., ca. 100 p.
Accession 1970-002, Box 1, Folder 9
Published
Revised draft, finished 20 January 1968. Ts. with hol. rev., 252 p.
Accession 1970-002, Box 2, Folder 1
Published
Variant draft. Ts. with hol. rev., p. 1-118.
Accession 1970-002, Box 2, Folder 2
Published
Variant draft. Ts. with hol. rev., p. 119-252; insertions, 26 p.
Accession 1970-002, Box 2, Folder 3
Published
Printer's copy, p. 1-118.
Accession 1970-002, Box 2, Folder 4
Published
Printer's copy, p. 119-252.
Accession 1970-002, Box 2, Folder 5
Published
Galley proofs.
Accession 1970-002, Box 2, Folder 6
Published
Foundry proofs (1 of 2).
Accession 1970-002, Box 3, Folder 1
Published
Foundry proofs (2 of 2).
Accession 1970-002, Box 3, Folder 2
Published
Revised galleys.
Accession 1970-002, Box 3, Folder 3
Published
Final galley.
Accession 1970-002, Box 3, Folder 4
Published
Doubleday & Co. Ltd. Correspondence re. Runaway, 1966-1968.
Accession 1970-002, Box 3, Folder 5
Published
Doubleday & Co., New York; Doubleday Canada. Correspondence re. Runaway, Take Hands at Winter, 1968-1970.
Accession 1983-190, Box 1, Folder 1
Published
"The Phoenix in its Flames". Hol. ms. in bound notebook, ca. 1958. Also includes poems.
Accession 1983-190, Box 1, Folder 2
Published
"Radix Malorum", begun 2 May 1963. Hol. ms. in coil-bound notebook, p. 1-58.
Accession 1983-190, Box 1, Folder 3
Published
"Radix Malorum". Hol. ms. in coil-bound notebook, p. 59-111.
Accession 1983-190, Box 1, Folder 4
Published
"Radix Malorum", p. 112-163 (some loose pages).
Accession 1983-190, Box 1, Folder 5
Published
"Radix Malorum", p. 164-218.
Accession 1983-190, Box 1, Folder 6
Published
"Radix Malorum", p. 219-232 (end of Part One); Part Two, "Thaw", begun 27 April 1964, p. 1-41.
Accession 1983-190, Box 1, Folder 7
Published
"Radix Malorum", Part Two, p. 6-92; 1 loose page; 5 ts. p. with hol. rev.
Accession 1983-190, Box 1, Folder 8
Published
"Radix Malorum", Part Two, p. 93-136.
Accession 1983-190, Box 1, Folder 9
Published
"Radix Malorum", Part Two, p. 137-186.
Accession 1983-190, Box 1, Folder 10
Published
"Radix Malorum", Part Two, p. 187-232. Finished 22 June 1964.
Accession 1983-190, Box 2, Folder 1
Published
"Take Hands in Winter", early draft (aka "Freeze Up", aka "Break Up"). Outlines, notes; ts. with hol. rev., p. 1-190.
Accession 1983-190, Box 2, Folder 2
Published
"Break Up". Ts. with hol. rev., p. 193-305.
Accession 1983-190, Box 2, Folder 3
Published
"Break Up". Ts. with hol. rev., p. 307-393.
Accession 1983-190, Box 2, Folder 4
Published
"Take Hands in Winter", variant draft. Part One, "Frost". Ts. with hol. rev., p. 1-140.
Accession 1983-190, Box 2, Folder 5
Published
"Take Hands in Winter", variant draft (incomplete). Ts., ca. 100 p.
Accession 1983-190, Box 2, Folder 6
Published
"Take Hands in Winter", variant draft. Hol. notes; ts. with hol. rev., p. 1, 5, 80-345.
Accession 1983-190, Box 3, Folder 1
Published
Variant draft. Ts. with hol. rev., ca. 100 leaves.
Accession 1983-190, Box 3, Folder 2
Published
Variant draft, 13 August 1964. Ts. with hol. rev., p. 146-393.
Accession 1983-190, Box 3, Folder 3
Published
Chapter VI. Hol. ms. in coil-bound notebook, 29 p.
Accession 1983-190, Box 3, Folder 4
Published
Chapters XVIII - XX. Hol. ms. in coil-bound notebook, March 1965.
Accession 1983-190, Box 3, Folder 5
Published
Printer's copy, p. 1-163.
Accession 1983-190, Box 3, Folder 6
Published
Printer's copy, p. 164-348.
Accession 1983-190, Box 4, Folder 1
Published
Take Hands at Winter. Galleys.
Accession 1983-190, Box 4, Folder 2
Published
Take Hands at Winter. Confirmation proofs, 13 December 1966.
Accession 1983-190, Box 4, Folder 3
Published
Take Hands at Winter. Galleys - reader's set.
Accession 83-190, Box 4, Files 4-5
Published
Consists of research grant applications and letters of recommendation (1965); photocopies and lists of citations for The Criterion [quarterly review] (1928-1938), relating to English literature.
Arranged by subject.
Accession 1983-190, Box 4, Folder 4
Published
Research grant applications, letters of recommendation. 1965.
Accession 1983-190, Box 4, Folder 5
Published
The Criterion [quarterly review]. 1924-1938. Photocopies, list of citations.