OTTAWA, ON, Nov. 28, 2024 /CNW/ - In alignment with the 150th anniversary of author Lucy Maud Montgomery's birth (30 November 1874), Confederation Centre Art Gallery and the Canadian Commission for UNESCO (CCUNESCO) are pleased to announce the addition of the Anne of Green Gables manuscript to the Canada Memory of the World Register. The Canada Memory of the World Register recognizes documentary heritage of national significance and is administered by the Canadian Commission for UNESCO in accordance with UNESCO's Memory of the World Programme which aims to safeguard and promote access to documentary heritage of universal value.
The manuscript includes 475 pages on which the story is handwritten, and an additional 96 pages of L.M. Montgomery's notes where she recorded additions and insertions to the text. These provide unique insights into the reflections and creative process of this influential voice in Canadian literature. Confederation Centre of the Arts, in partnership with the L.M. Montgomery Institute and the Robertson Library at the University of Prince Edward Island, launched a bilingual online exhibit in 2023 that allows readers around the world to access the fully digitized manuscript.
Born and raised on Prince Edward Island, L.M. Montgomery took inspiration from the places and landscapes of her childhood home in Cavendish to create the iconic setting of this novel. The beautiful shorelines, farmlands, and landscapes she depicts in Anne of Green Gables have generated global fascination with Prince Edward Island. The Green Gables Heritage Place situated within the Prince Edward Island National Park now receives over 150,000 visitors per year, an example of the power of the arts to boost local economies through tourism.
"This iconic novel first published in 1908 is the most translated Canadian book. On the backdrop of a rural settler community, L.M. Montgomery presents readers with Anne, a character othered by her red hair and unconventional willpower in search for belonging and friendship. Anne has proven herself relatable to young people across the world, and we are very fortunate that the original manuscript of this beloved classic is both preserved and accessible to readers and literary scholars."
- Yves-Gérard Méhou-Loko, Secretary General, Canadian Commission for UNESCO
"Confederation Centre of the Arts purchased the original Anne of Green Gables manuscript in 1967 from the author's son, Dr. Stuart MacDonald. It resides in our archives, and only a lucky few have been able to see it or study it in person. The digitization of the manuscript has vastly increased access to it, allowing scholars and fans to discover Montgomery's creativity in interactive ways not previously available. This literary work holds great national significance and has resonated with people from around the world, and we are thrilled for it be recognized in the Canada Memory of the World Register as the first inscription from Prince Edward Island."
- Kevin Rice, Director, Confederation Centre Art Gallery
"Readers of Montgomery's manuscript can experience her wonderfully imaginative story unfolding while also witnessing the creative writing processes she devised as a consummate professional. Writing her first novel, Montgomery developed a unique creation and editing system. She spent months brooding up characters and scenes; then, while she drafted the novel, she used an alphanumeric scheme to revise: each time she wanted to add something significant, she inserted a "Note" into the text, which appeared as a letter of the alphabet in sequence, starting with A-Z and then A1-Z1 and so on, going through the whole alphabet more than two dozen times (to S29 in Anne of Green Gables). The alphanumeric Notes, written out in full, were kept in a separate stack of pages at the end of the manuscript, to be inserted when she typed up the whole. Reading the story manuscript together with the pages of Notes, readers can feel the marvel of creativity in action. It was a privilege to work on the presentation and annotation of the manuscript of one of the most beloved stories in the world."
- Dr. Emily Woster, Montgomery scholar and curator of annemanuscript.ca
- Dr. Elizabeth Epperly, founder of the L.M. Montgomery Institute at the University of Prince Edward Island
"The Anne of Green Gables manuscript, carefully preserved by Confederation Centre Art Gallery, is a crucial piece of Canadian and world history – enabling readers and scholars to understand L.M. Montgomery's unique writing style and process. To examine the manuscript is to bear witness to Montgomery's extraordinary artistry: her decision-making, edits, and re-writes testify to the skill and talents of a writer who worked assiduously to tell this compelling story, beloved by readers around the world for more than a century."
- Laura Robinson, chair of the L.M. Montgomery Institute
About the Canadian Commission for UNESCO
The Canadian Commission for UNESCO (CCUNESCO) serves as a bridge between Canadians and the vital work of UNESCO—the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. Through its networks and partners, the Commission promotes UNESCO's values, priorities and programs in Canada and brings the voices of Canadian experts to the international stage. Its activities are guided by the United Nations' 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and other UNESCO priorities. CCUNESCO operates under the authority of the Canada Council for the Arts.
About Confederation Centre of the Arts
Located in historic Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Confederation Centre of the Arts explores the origins and evolution of Canada through world-class art exhibitions, original theatrical productions, and interactive learning experiences. More than a centre of the arts, Confederation Centre is a cultural convenor, a forum for dialogue on where our nation is heading, and a national stage for thriving artistic expression. It's more than a venue. It's where Canada connects.
SOURCE Canadian Commission for UNESCO
For more information, please contact: Vanessa Poulin-Gladu, Manager, Public Affairs, Canadian Commission for UNESCO, 613-862-1637, [email protected], Emily McMahon, Communications Manager, Confederation Centre of the Arts, 902-628-6135, [email protected]
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