Series consists of material relating to following anthologies edited or co-edited by J. Metcalf: New Canadian stories series (1976), Best Canadian stories series (1977-1982), The bumper book, Carry on bumping, First impressions, Second impressions, Third impressions, Kaleidoscope, Literary Review [1985 Canadian issue], The Macmillan anthology 1, The second Macmillan anthology, Making it new, The narrative voice, The New Press anthology #1, The New Press anthology #2, New worlds, Sixteen by twelve, Stories plus and Writers in aspic. Includes correspondence with co-editors, authors, literary agents, editors and publishers; individual short story, poetry and essay manuscripts submitted by anthology contributors as well as manuscripts of J. Metcalf's introductory material; anthology manuscripts; promotional material; and reviews.
Series consists of correspondence with Dilshad Engineer of Oberon Press regarding the selection and editing of content for Best Canadian Stories, correspondence with authors, lists of possible stories for inclusion, and handwritten and typed versions of Metcalf’s introductions to the volumes he edited.
Series consists of correspondence with authors regarding selections of materials for publishing and on the rejections of submissions. Also includes correspondence on submissions for the Metcalf-Rooke Award a literary award adjudicated by John Metcalf and Leon Rooke.
Series consists of correspondence with authors regarding possible submissions to Canadian Notes and Queries, page proofs of editions, typescripts of submissions, and handwritten drafts of Metcalf’s introductions. The series also consists of correspondence, articles, printouts of blog postings and background materials relating to the issues of Canadian Notes and Queries and The New Quarterly which were published in tandem as a “Salon de refuses” in protest and opposition over the Jane Urquhart edited Penguin Book of Canadian Short Stories.
Series consists of correspondence with authors including comments on writings, submissions, and annotated drafts. Correspondence also contains comments on travel, selling and moving houses, and comments on other writers and publications. Series also consists of correspondence with artists (Tony Calzetta, Alan Dayton) and publishers (Marc Cote of Cormorant Books, Jack David of ECW Press).
- Series consists of correspondence with authors, poets, editors, publishers, educators, artists, friends, admirers, book and art dealers, broadcasters, government officials, literary agents and others in the literary, publishing and educational fields.
- The Earle Toppings file contains J. Metcalf's original outgoing letters to E. Toppings, returned to J. Metcalf because copies were not made.
Series consists of manuscripts of short story collections Adult entertainment, The lady who sold furniture, Selected stories and The teeth of my father; novels General Ludd and Going down slow; novellas Girl in gingham, Polly Ongle, Private parts : a memoir, and Travelling northward as well as many collected, uncollected, published and unpublished short stories. Arranged alphabetically by title. Adaptations for television and film of J. Metcalf's work by others follow the manuscripts of the original work. Reviews of published works, when present, follow manuscripts of the particular title except for the final two files in the series which consist of reviews of fiction removed from two scrapbooks.
Series consists of records related to royalty payments and grants.
Series consists of photographs of Metcalf and members of his family, authors (including Norman Levine, Leon Rooke, Terry Griggs, Annabel Lyon, and Tony Calzetta), and book dealers, publishers and editors (including Adrian King-Edwards, Richard FitzPatrick, David McKnight, and Jack David). Some of the photographs are noted as being alternates for those used in Shut Up, He Explained. Also consists of a plaque of a Sam Tata photograph of the “Montreal Story Tellers” taken in 1970.
Series consists of correspondence between Metcalf and students attending the Humber School for Writers correspondence program in creative writing, or summer workshops on writing; and samples of the students’ writing and assignments. Series also consists of administrative correspondence between Metcalf and Humber College regarding his teaching and mentoring, course descriptions and brochures.