What always strikes me, after many years on The Hart House Review, is the vast amount of literary and artistic talent pooling on the University of Toronto campus. Maybe a small portion of this is a testament to the historical literary legacy of the University—alphabetically: Atwood, Fielding, Frye, Gilmour, Heti, Leacock, McCrae, Michaels, Mistry, Ondaatje, Oppel, Pratt, Redhill… However, in my opinion, it is really very simple: for whatever reason, U of T attracts the best talent simply because we have the best talent.
During my second year with HHR, impetus was put on opening up the Review to contributors outside of the University. This went hand-in-hand with the move for national distribution, which as Deputy Editor I attained through Magazines Canada in the spring of 2011. Showcasing U of T talent alongside some of the best in the country in front of a national audience is an important opportunity for our emerging artists, poets, and writers to be given recognition in a meaningful way. The resulting gain in momentum in the past two years has resulted in several successful national partnerships and resonant acclamation. Making the Review a national publication was the first step of many towards making HHR a dynamic voice in the Canadian literary world, beyond its own reputation on the University’s campus.
In its twenty-one years of publication, the Review has been the first foray into serious publication of many now-notable Canadian artists. Having overseen the twentieth anniversary issue as Editor-in-Chief in 2012 and the new initiatives that came with the elevation of HHR at a national- and international- level, a retrospective look made it apparent to me that with every issue the magazine grows, never resting on its laurels but always seeking to innovate and expand past precedent; for the enemy of any true artist is the status quo. In this respect I see HHR as a work of art in itself, but one in continual evolution.
Kira Wronska Dorward
Fiction Editor, The Hart House Review 2013
Editor-in-Chief, The Hart House Review 2012
http://www.harthousereview.com/print_2013