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Special Collections: Canadian Literature

About This Collection

Ethel Wilson signing honorary degree registerEthel Wilson was born in 1888 at Port Elizabeth, South Africa. At the age of ten she joined her grandmother in Vancouver, Canada where she received her education. She obtained a teacher's certificate in 1907; she taught until 1920 at several Vancouver public schools. She wrote her first novel, Hetty Dorval, in 1947. Other notable works include Mrs. Golightly and Other Stories, The Innocent Traveller, The Equations of Love, Swamp Angel, and Love and Salt Water. In 1961, in recognition of her contribution to Canadian Literature, she was awarded a special medal by the Canada Council. She was later also distinguished as an Officer of the Order of Canada.

Rare Books and Special Collections has a small collection of the works of Ethel Wilson (1888-1980), with a complementary collection of works about her. This collection complements the Ethel Wilson fonds, a collection of archival material related to Ethel Wilson.

Image Source: Ethel Wilson signing honorary degree register. May 17, 1955. Part of the Norman McKenzie fonds [PDF 824 KB]; featured in UBC Archives Photograph Collection.

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Subject Headings

Wilson, Ethel, 1888-1980

Wilson, Ethel, 1888-1980--Criticism and interpretation

Wilson, Ethel, 1888-1980--Bibliography

Wilson, Ethel, 1888-1980--Congresses

Wilson, Ethel, 1888-1980--Correspondence

Wilson, Ethel, 1888-1980--Philosophy


Vertical Files

These are often smaller documents like pamphlets which are not assigned a call number in the library system. See the vertical files associated with this collection.