Doug Gibson: Editor, publisher, writer, friend
Writing life: 48
Happy New Year!
It’s hard to know just how to start this column. Douglas Gibson deserves a full-blown biography, not a Substack post. And when that book is written one day, it will be a history of Canadian literature and publishing in the latter half of the twentieth century—that’s the scale of Doug’s influence and impact.
Beginnings…
Born and raised in Scotland, and a newly-minted graduate of the University of St. Andrews, Doug arrived on North American shores in 1966 as the winner of a university prize that gave him a year at Yale. After earning an M.A. at the famed university, he travelled by Greyhound bus across the United States, and then north to Seattle, where he boarded a ferry for Victoria. Doug then hopped on another bus and headed east. After a stint at McMaster University in Hamilton, working for the Registrar, Doug secured his first job in publishing in the editorial department of Doubleday Canada in Toronto. Within the year, after the departure of his boss, Doug took over as head of Doubleday’s Editorial Department. As Doug described it, “Obviously, the plan was for me to hold the fort until a replacement could be found. But they never got around to it.” And Doug never looked back.
Shaping our understanding of Canada
Doug Gibson immersed himself in the Canadian experience and made it his mission as an editor and eventually publisher to bring his adopted nation, in all its diversity—geographic, demographic, ideological, economic, and social—to Canadian readers. In a great understatement, mission accomplished!
Over his 40-year career, at Doubleday, Macmillan, and finally McClelland & Stewart (M&S) where he was Publisher and had his own imprint, Douglas Gibson Books, Doug edited and published the great writers who shaped CanLit and our collective understanding of what it really means to be Canadian.
The writers he edited or published famously include Alice Munro, Robertson Davies, Morley Callaghan, W.O. Mitchell, Mavis Gallant, Peter Gzowski, Peter C. Newman, Alistair MacLeod, and Prime Ministers Pierre Trudeau, Brian Mulroney, and Paul Martin—and that’s just a small sampling.
Early in Alice Munro’s writing career, many publishers were trying to persuade her to stop writing short stories and start writing novels. She was uncomfortable with the longer form and really wanted to stick to what she loved. Doug, having published Alice earlier in his career at Macmillan, was then at M&S. He met with Alice and told her that he would publish her story collections as long as she kept writing them.
And that’s just what Alice and Doug did together for many years thereafter. He was her editor and publisher for most of her writing life. Doug and his remarkable wife, Jane, even attended Alice Munro’s Nobel Prize ceremony in Stockholm.
Doug Gibson and I
I first heard Doug’s name and laid eyes on him at the public memorial marking Robertson Davies’ passing back in December of 1995 at U of T’s Convocation Hall. I was, and remain, a huge Robertson Davies fan, so my wife Nancy and I attended his memorial. It was very moving with tributes from Margaret Atwood, John Kenneth Galbraith, Timothy Findley, Jane Urquhart, Rohinton Mistry and John Irving. As Davies’ editor, Doug was the eloquent and eminently capable Master of Ceremonies for the event.
Many years later, we discovered that a great family friend and former work colleague of Nancy’s was engaged to marry Doug. In fact, we were invited to Jane and Doug’s wedding at Massey College, where Robertson Davies had been Master. Thus began a friendship with Doug (and continued the one with Jane!) that flourishes today. Over the years, Nancy and I have enjoyed countless dinners with Doug and Jane, long before I ever thought I might one day write a novel. In fact, our dinner table talks about writing and Doug’s stable of famous authors was one of the catalysts in my decision to try to write a novel of my own. When that first novel, The Best Laid Plans, then self-published, miraculously won the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour in 2008, Doug happened to be in Orillia for the announcement supporting one of the other finalists he had published.
If you fast-forward to the 5:00 minute mark in my rambling acceptance speech below, I thank Doug Gibson for unwittingly pushing me to write by sharing so many wonderful stories from his editing and publishing career.
A week after winning the Leacock Medal, I signed with McClelland & Stewart with none other than Doug Gibson as my editor. A dream come true for which I will always be grateful to Doug.
Over the next nine years, Doug Gibson expertly edited my first six novels for M&S and he remains—and always will be—what I call, my Editor Emeritus. He was a gentle editor. His harshest editorial comment, noted in pencil on a paragraph in one of my manuscripts, read “You’re taxing the reader’s attention here.” I cut it immediately.
Back in 2013, Doug invited me to sit with Alice Munro and him at the Canadian Booksellers Association (CBA) Awards dinner, which I happened to be Emceeing. It was a great thrill to meet her that evening. For more on that night, you can read my earlier post by clicking here or on the image below.
The Publisher/Editor turns to writing
I knew it was inevitable, and in 2011, Doug Gibson released his first book, Stories About Storytellers, wherein he recounts his exploits working with some of the finest writers this country has produced—oh, and he also edited me. He then developed a wildly successful one-man stage show based on his book, and embarked on a cross-Canada tour—ably supported by Jane.
In July of 2012, both Doug and I happened to be appearing at the Saskatchewan Festival of Words in Moose Jaw. I eagerly attended Doug’s stage show where he recounted wonderful tales of the famous writers with whom he’s worked. As Doug deftly moved through his presentation, behind him on a big screen, amazing sketches of each writer would appear, created by Globe and Mail editorial cartoonist Anthony Jenkins. Doug surprised me that evening in Moose Jaw by including a segment about working with me. He mentioned afterwards that he had purposely not told me so he could see the look on my face in the audience when Jenkins’ sketch of me suddenly appeared on the screen. Doug’s mischievous side was quite satisfied with my shocked expression!
If that weren’t enough, when the second edition of Stories About Storytellers was published, I was flabbergasted again when I learned Doug had actually added a new chapter about his experiences editing me. Needless to say, it was an unexpected thrill. The great Sesame Street song “One of these things is not like the others” still echoes in my mind! Doug and Jane, very kindly gave me the framed original Anthony Jenkins sketch from the book, which now hangs in our library where I write.)
Here’s a little clip from Doug’s Stories About Storytellers stage show wherein he talks about the impact of his friend the great Canadian writer Hugh MacLennan.
In 2015, his second book, Across Canada by Story hit bookstores. He again took to the road giving wonderful talks across the country to rave reviews. And in 2022, his third book, Great Scots was released, celebrating Canadian writers with links to Doug’s native Scotland.
And the Order of Canada, too!
On June 30, 2017, it was announced that Douglas Maitland Gibson was among the new Members of the Order of Canada. This was such wonderful news, and I can’t think of a Canadian more deserving of the honour. I know this meant a great deal to Doug, a Scottish emigre, who has done so much to help Canadians understand our own country.
Wrapping up…
I confess I have come nowhere near doing justice to Doug’s extraordinary career in Canadian publishing. There is so much more to tell. I’ve barely scratched the surface! As I wrote at the outset, there really needs to be a biography about Douglas Gibson, or perhaps a memoir someday? Often called a publishing icon, it remains a great honour to have worked with him on six novels, to have gained so much from his experience, insights and stories, and to call him a friend.
Thanks for reading this. Here’s hoping you’ll subscribe (it’s free and easy) if you haven’t already, so you don’t miss future posts that are published every other Sunday morning. Again, Happy New Year!
I can really feel how much you care for your friend! He sounds like a really lovely man and I do hope that one day he decides to write a memoir. (Love that pic of you with him, Alice Munro, and my old buddy, Mark!)
Thank you, Terry, for sharing your memories and paying tribute to Doug. He is a Canadian legend. I've love to read his biography!