One of Canada’s most imposing figures, Robertson Davies was a prolific writer of prose, drama, opera, literary criticism and journalism. For his ‘Deptford Trilogy,’ he won two Governor General Awards for Literature.
Although Davies began his adult life with dreams of becoming an actor while studying at Oxford, he gravitated to the family newspaper business, and to Peterborough.
From 1942 to 1963, he served as publisher and editor of the Peterborough Examiner. While living in Peterborough, he contributed significantly to the City’s cultural growth. He was a driving force behind the creation of Peterborough Little Theatre, Peterborough Summer Theatre and the formation of the Coventry Singers.
It should be noted that the ‘Samuel Marchbanks’ series of beloved books stemmed from his time at the Peterborough Examiner, when he penned a column under the Marchbanks pseudonym beginning in 1944.