Series MS-2-548 - Harry Bruce's manuscripts and related research records

William Harry Bruce is a Canadian writer. He was born in Toronto on 8 July 1934, the son of novelist and poet Charles Tory Bruce and Agnes (King) Bruce. In 1955 he graduated from Mount Allison University, New Brunswick, with a BA in English Literature. The following year he received a scholarship to study at the London School of Economics and Politics.

From 1955-1959 Bruce was on staff at The Ottawa Journal as a parliamentary correspondent. He was a reporter for The Globe and Mail from 1959-1961, and from 1961-1964 an assistant editor at Maclean’s Magazine. He served one year as managing editor of Saturday Night before helping to start The Canadian Magazine, where he stayed until 1966. He worked for several years as a contributing columnist to publications including The Star Weekly, The Toronto Daily Star and Maclean’s, until in 1971 he was appointed executive editor for Nova Scotia Power Company. During 1972 he hosted CBC Radio’s Gazette. From 1973-1979, Bruce worked primarily as a freelance writer.

Bruce won an ACTRA Nellie Award for best radio drama for 1977. In 1978 his book Lifeline was the winner of the first Evelyn Richardson Memorial Literary Award for non-fiction. He received a National Magazine Award in 1981 and, in 1983 and 1984, he won the top writing prize at the Atlantic Journalism Awards. He has received honourary degrees from the University of King’s College, Halifax, and St. Francis Xavier University, Antigonish, Nova Scotia.

Harry Bruce married Penny Meadows in 1955, with whom he has three children.