Robertson Davies was a highly accomplished Canadian author, born in 1913 in Renfrew, Ontario. His career spanned various fields, including playwriting, criticism, journalism, and professorship. Davies was well-educated, having attended Upper Canada College and Queen's University in Kingston before traveling to England, where he earned a Bachelor of Letters degree at Balliol College, Oxford. It was during his time in England that he met his wife, Brenda.
As a prominent figure in the literary world, Davies was known for his prolific output, with over 80 distinct works to his name. His novels, in particular, have left an indelible mark on Canadian literature. Some of his most notable works include the Salterton Trilogy, the Deptford Trilogy, the Cornish Trilogy, and the Toronto Trilogy. His writing is often classified as literary fiction, and he is widely regarded as one of Canada's best authors.
In addition to his accomplishments as an author, Davies made significant contributions to the education sector. He was the founding Master of Massey College, a graduate college at the University of Toronto, where he helped to shape the next generation of scholars. Davies was also a widely read professor who enjoyed passing on his knowledge to his students.
Davies was a distinguished "man of letters," although he is said to have detested the term. He had three daughters and four grandchildren, and he passed away in Orangeville, Ontario. Davies' legacy as a writer and educator continues to be celebrated and studied, and his work remains an important part of the Canadian literary canon.
The Cornish Trilogy Books
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Title
Year
Goodreads
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1
The Rebel Angels
1981
2
What's Bred in the Bone
1985
3
The Lyre of Orpheus
1988
The Deptford Trilogy Books
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Title
Year
Goodreads
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1
Fifth Business
1970
2
The Manticore
1972
3
World of Wonders
1975
The Salterton Trilogy Books
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Title
Year
Goodreads
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1
Tempest-Tost
1951
2
Leaven of Malice
1954
3
A Mixture of Frailties
1958
Toronto Trilogy Books
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Title
Year
Goodreads
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1
Murther and Walking Spirits
1991
2
The Cunning Man
1994
Standalone Novels
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Title
Year
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1
A Masque of Mr. Punch
1963
2
Stephen Leacock
1970
Collections
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Title
Year
Goodreads
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1
The Enthusiasms of Robertson Davies
1979
2
High Spirits
1982
3
At My Heart's Core Overlaid
1991
4
Fortune, My Foe and Eros at Breakfast
1993
5
Hunting Stuart and The Voice of the People
1994
6
A Gathering of Ghost Stories
1995
7
Modern Classics Selected Works On the Art of Writing
2008
8
Selected Works on the Pleasures of Reading
2008
9
A Celtic Temperament: Robertson Davies as Diarist
2015
Non-Fiction Books
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Title
Year
Goodreads
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1
A Voice from the Attic
1960
2
One Half of Robertson Davies
1978
3
The Well-Tempered Critic
1981
4
The Mirror of Nature
1983
5
The Papers of Samuel Marchbanks
1985
6
The Merry Heart
1996
7
For Your Eye Alone
1999
8
Happy Alchemy
1999
9
Robertson Davies Discoveries: Early Letters 1938-1975