A Question of Bias

For how long have observers been concerned about the possibility of sexual bias in Canadian book reviewing? A good case could be made that the initial analysis of the issue dates back to 1971 in a York University seminar room. Margaret Atwood was teaching a course entitled Canadian Women Writers, and as part of the coursework she and her students undertook an innovative project attempting to identify and measure the extent of sexual bias in Canadian book reviewing.

This project culminated in a preliminary report, “Sexual Bias in Canadian Reviewing,” which we are happy to publish here for the first time 44 years later. A fascinating cultural artifact in its own right, the document provides valuable insight into an era of Canadian book reviewing now long past. Although some issues described in the report may seem archaic by today’s standards, other issues that are discussed appear far less alien.

To...