Literary Review of Canada

The LRC was founded in 1991[2] in Toronto by Patrice Dutil and published for the first time in December 1991. In late 1996, after publishing 55 issues, he sold the magazine to Carleton University Press. In 1998, the magazine was sold to partners David Berlin, Denis Deneau and later partner and managing editor Helen Walsh. Berlin left in 2001, the same year Mark Lovewell joined as partner and eventually co-publisher. Deneau left in early 2003. Bronwyn Drainie was hired in 2003 and held the position until 2015. The magazine's editor from July 2016 until October 2018 was Sarmishta Subramanian.[3] The magazine's current editor is Kyle Wyatt.

The LRC unveiled its list of the 100 most important Canadian books ever published in the January/February 2006 and March 2006 issues. The list ran in chronological order, starting with Jacques Cartier's Bref récit et succincte narration de la navigation faite en MDXXXV et MDXXXVI, published in 1545, and ending with Jane Jacobs' Dark Age Ahead, published in 2004.[4]

In September 2008, the LRC published the winning selection of its New Voices[5] call for essays, "Progressivism's End" by David Eaves and Taylor Owen.[6] Essays by Andrew Ng and John Robson were also published online. It continues to publish "Online Original" essays on its website.

On its 25th anniversary in the fall of 2016, the magazine published "The LRC 25" supplement, a selection of the 25 most influential non-fiction books published in Canada during that time. The chosen titles were presented by Canadian luminaries like Niigan Sinclair, Nahlah Ayed and Lee Maracle.[7]

In 2019, the LRC forged a partnership with Massey College in the University of Toronto. Its offices are now located on Massey's premises.

Longtime publisher Helen Walsh stepped down in September 2017 and was replaced by board member Mark Lovewell.[8] The current publisher is Eithne McCredie. Past editors include founder Patrice Dutil, David Berlin, Lewis DeSoto, Anthony Westell, Bronwyn Drainie, Mark Lovewell and Murray Campbell.

The current poetry editor is Moira MacDougall. Past poetry editors include A.J. Levin, George Murray, Matt Williams, Fred Wah and Molly Peacock.

Articles are illustrated by original artwork by illustrators such as Tina Seeman, Barbara Klunder, Tom Pokinko, Silvia Nickerson, Aino Anto, Kevin Sylvester, Clarke MacDonald and Aimee Van Drimmelin.

Board members are Scott Griffin, Neena Gupta, Kelly Jenkins, Joseph Kertes, John Edward Macfarlane, Amela Marin, Don McCutchan, David Staines and Jaime Watt.

Writers who have been published in the magazine include Margaret Atwood, Lloyd Axworthy, John Bemrose, Conrad Black, Lynn Crosbie, Patrice Dutil, Charles Foran, Brad Fraser, Marcus Gee, Michael Geist, Joan Givner, Jack Granatstein, Richard Gwyn, Paul Knox, Andy Lamey, Ezra Levant, David M. Malone, Alberto Manguel, Barbara McDougall, David Macfarlane, Preston Manning, Pankaj Mishra, Alanna Mitchell, Rex Murphy, Sylvia Ostry, Gilles Paquet, Bob Rae, Noah Richler, Kent Roach, Wade Rowland, Peter Russell, John Ralston Saul, Janice Stein, Moez Surani, Drew Hayden Taylor, Michael Valpy, William Watson, Jennifer Welsh and Zoe Whittall.

• LRC