Anne of Green Gables manuscript added to the Canada Memory of the World Register

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