Abstract

Commemorations of deceased writers can often take on a life of their own—from the stately and serious to the kitschy and commercial. In Literary Life After Death, Carole Gerson categorizes and analyzes the ways in which writers have been commemorated in Canada to show how tributes have changed over time and in response to evolving national and social concerns.

First focusing on officially sanctioned commemorations by governments in objects such as coins, stamps, and plaques, as well as historic sites and place names, the book then turns to commemorations driven by local communities and non-profit organizations in various house museums, literary tourist sites, statues, parks, and other markers. The material culture and online tributes of amateurs and hobbyists are discussed as well as literary commemorations, when later authors incorporate or revisit deceased authors as characters in new works of literature. In doing so, this work identifies commonalities among commemorations as well as the under-representation of groups such as women authors, racialized authors, and Indigenous authors in Canada.

Brimming with examples and discussions of dozens of writers, Literary Life After Death takes an expansive and often-amusing approach to literary studies and cultural history.