Beyond the Shadow of William Briggs Pt 2: Canadian-Authored Titles and the Commitment to Canadian Writing‪.‬

After William Briggs's accession to the office of Book Steward of the Methodist Book and Publishing House in June 1879, book publishing became more prominent among the House's activities and its commitment to Canadian writing more explicit. W. Stewart Wallace's checklist, The Ryerson Imprint, records an annual average output of eighteen books or pamphlets for the first thirty years of Briggs's tenure -- an average six times that of the previous fifty years. Since Wallace limited the titles he listed for this period -- noting only works by Canadian writers--and also overlooked some Canadian-authored titles which are recorded in the trade papers, the Christian Guardian, or the House's sales books, it is apparent that book publishing was an even more substantial activity than the checklist discloses. While the House did publish Canadian editions or issues of many foreign-authored titles, the discussion here will concern itself solely with books or pamphlets by Canadian authors. Surviving documentation related to the House's publication of books by Canadian writers between 1879 and 1919 is revealing of the institution's place within continuums of both Methodist publishing and Canadian publishing. It also establishes the influence of individuals at work within the House upon those endeavours. As one of Briggs's contemporaries expressed it, the Book Steward was not a `literary critic'; (1) he respected the opinions of others in literary matters and would act on their recommendations. Thus, a richer understanding results when one ranges beyond the long-held perspective that Briggs was the predominant force behind the House's publication of Canadian-authored titles.