Series consists of correspondence from Gool's student days in Wales to his retirement as a Professor in the Department of Political Science, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, P.E.I. Cards and letters written to Gool and his wife, the artist Hilda Woolnough, form part of the series. Gool's careers as writer (novelist and poet), professor and lecturer, publisher and critic form the main themes. The series includes one sub-series of family correspondence.
The series documents Gool's extensive correspondence with a wide variety of international literary agents and publishing houses; the establishment of his own press, Square Deal Publications, Charlottetown; his correspondence with several Atlantic Canadian publishers, such as Ragweed Press, Penny Press, Brunswick Press, and Breakwater Books, as well as periodicals such as The Abegweit review, The Canadian Review, PRISM International, Descant, Quest, The Fiddlehead, Canadian literature: a quarterly of criticism and review, Goodwin's and The Atlantic provinces book review.
At various stages, Gool was either a member of or active in the following associations, which are represented in the correspondence series: Island Writers' Association, Association of Canadian Publishers, The Writers' Federation of Nova Scotia, The Lorenzo Society, Atlantic Publishers' Association, Association of Nova Scotia Arts Society, Writers' Federation of New Brunswick, The League of Canadian Poets (LCP), Shastri-Canadian Institute, Calgary, Association of Caribbean Studies, Canadian Association for Commonwealth Literature and Language Studies (CACLALS), Atlantic Institute of Education, The Ethos Cultural Development Foundation, Toronto, Atlantic Canada Institute, Conference on Language, Culture and Literary Identity in Canada, Association for Canadian Studies, Canadian Political Science Association, and Arts for Peace/Les artistes pour la paix, Toronto.
The series contains correspondence, notices and schedules of various poetry readings, including those held at the Atlantic University Teachers of English conference, and the Indo-Caribbean Studies conference. Gool's support of Hilda Woolnough led to the establishment of Gallery on Demand (G.O.D.), Charlottetown, and correspondence with West House Gallery, Halifax; Gadatsy Gallery, Toronto; Dalhousie Art Gallery, Halifax; Confederation Centre Art Gallery and Museum, Charlottetown; The Great George Street Gallery, Charlottetown; The Innuit Gallery of Eskimo Art, Toronto; and Nancy Poole's Studio, Toronto.
The correspondence deals with a wide variety of subjects, including, among others, the following: Gool's administrative correspondence at the University of Prince Edward Island, particularly during the period he was Acting Chair of the Department of Political Science; his letters seeking research grants from Canada Council and other government agencies, as well as in support of graduate students applying for fellowships to various universities; Amnesty International; Anthology of Asian-Canadian Writing; apartheid; Applebaum-Hébert Report; Belle Air Music Co., London, Ontario (1976); C.B.C. 'Variety tonight'; Centre d'études acadiennes,Moncton, N.B. (1976); F. MacAusland & Sons, Custom Spinning and Weaving, O'Leary, PEI (1966); The Institute of Island Heritage, PEI; Island Dance Ensemble, Winslow, PEI (1976); Literature of Canadians of South Asian Origin; Manitoba Anti-Apartheid Coalition, and PEN International.
Letters from colleagues in the Caribbean, Guyana, Great Britain, India and South Africa are scattered throughout the series. Gool's correspondents include a great many Canadian writers, artists and prominent public figures, among them being the following: Doris M. Anderson 1972, Nancy Bauer 1983, Henry Beissel 1971-1979, Pierre Berton 1976, Earle Birney 1976, bill bissett 1984, Marilyn Bowering 1978, Robert Bringhurst 1983, Ed Broadbent 1986, Harry Bruce 1976, June Callwood 1978-1983, Dorothy Cameron 1973-1976, Silver Donald Cameron 1973-1983, Elspeth Cameron 1981-1982, Graydon Carter 1976, Austin Clarke 1976-1984, Fred Cogswell 1972-1983, Susan M. Crean 1976-1985, Lorna Crozier 1985, Rienzi Crusz n.d., 1981-1988, Cyril Dabydeen n.d., 1981-1985, Robertson Davies 1976, William Deverell n.d., Jennifer Dickson 1982, Arnold Edinborough 1970-1976, Marian Engel n.d., 1975-1984, Howard Engel 1976-1979, Mona Fertig, 1979-1981, Marya Fiamengo 1983-1989, Timothy Findley 1978-1989, Pat Fleisher 1981, Cathy Ford 1981, 1984, Edith Fowke 1978, Wynne Francis 1973, Patrick Friesen 1986 and Northrop Frye 1983-1984.
Also included are the following: Tom Gallant 1970-1972, Gary Geddes 1975-1987, Shirley Gibson 1975, Graeme Gibson 1981, Evelyne Gill Godfrey 'Lakshmi' 1984-1985, Michael Gnarowski 1984, Nadine Gordimer 1954, Walter L. Gordon 1978, Katherine Govier 1984-1985, Jack Granatstein 1983, Anne Hardy 1977, 1980, Robert Harlow 1980-1986, Elaine Harrison 1973-1988, David Helwig 1982-1983, Abdur-Rahman Hopkinson 1978, Harold Horwood 1981-1982, Mel Hurtig 1972, George Johnston 1981, Elizabeth Jones 1980, Urjo Kareda 1982, M.T. Kelly 1988, Penny Kemp 1983, Ismith Khan 1988 , Myrna Kostash 1980-1984, Robert Kroetsch 1975, 1982, Jerry Lampert n.d., Patrick Lane 1984, Margaret Laurence 1975-1986, Suzanne R. le Moyne 1981-1982, F.R. Leavis 1956, Dennis Lee 1969-1972, Christopher Levenson 1984, David Lewis 1973, 1977, Dorothy Livesay 1976-1986, Jim Lotz n.d., Jack MacAndrew 1975, 1987, Joan Finnigan MacKenzie 1976, 1981, J. Angus MacLean 1972 and Hugh MacLennan 1973-1984.
In addition, Gool's correspondents include: Jack MacLeod 1982, Alistair MacLeod 1978, 1981, Heath Macquarrie 1971-1975, Roy MacSkimming 1972, Joyce Marshall 1976-1980, Tom Marshall 1976-1979, Robin Mathews 1959-1989, Seymour Mayne 1956, 1975-1984, Dave McFadden 1982, Roy McMurtry 1984, Judy Merril 1971, Mary di Michele 1979, Alice Munro 1978, Joan Murray 1986, 1988, John Neville 1982, W.H. New 1982, Don J. Oland 1970, Christopher Ondaatje 1969, P.K. Page n.d., 1978, 1983, Alan Paton 1978, H.R. Percy n.d., 1983, 1986, Al Purdy 1974, Allan Rankin 1981, Janis Rapaport 1978-1985, Terry Rigelhof 1982-1983, Erika Ritter 1986-1987, Kevin Roberts 1981, Heather Robertson 1982, Luke Rombout 1982, Joe Rosenblatt n.d., 1975, 1985, Malcolm Ross 1976, Abe Rotstein 1971-1972, Jane Rule 1982, Allan Safarik 1983, 1986, Sam Selvon 1978, 1982, Joe Sherman n.d., Robin Skelton 1975, 1983-1984, Carolyn Smart 1982, John Smith n.d., Elizabeth Spencer 1982-1988, George F.G. Stanley 1981, J.J. Steinfeld 1979, Jack Stoddart 1972, Peter Such 1981, Suwanda H.J. Sugunasiri 1980, 1983, Ronald Sutherland 1980-1984, David Suzuki 1985, Susan Swan 1980, 1983, Robert Sward 1983, George H. Szanto 1982, 1987, Charles Taylor 1980-1981, Harold Town 1981, Philip Toynbee 1960, 1978, Pierre Elliott Trudeau 1985, Janice Tyrwhitt 1980-1986, W.D. Valgardson 1984, Aritha Van Herk 1985, M.G. Vassanji 1981-1988, Miriam Waddington n.d., 1976, Ann Wall 1980, David Watmough 1982, Robert Weaver n.d., 1978, Phyllis Webb 1984, Helen Weinzweig 1981-1983, Patrick White 1978-1979, Marjory Whitelaw 1976, 1988, Moncrieff Williamson 1978-1982, Donald Winkler 1985, George Woodcock 1977-1985 and Rachel Wyatt, n.d., 1983, 1989. References to Milton Acorn are found scattered throughout the correspondence.
