James De Mille

Born in Saint John, New Brunswick, on August 23, 1833, James De Mille became both a teacher and a remarkably productive writer. He studied in Nova Scotia and later taught classics and literature before joining Dalhousie College in Halifax, where he spent much of his career as a professor.

Alongside his academic work, he published more than 30 novels and other works, ranging from adventure stories and historical fiction to humor and early speculative fiction. He was especially known for writing engaging popular fiction, and his best-known works include A Strange Manuscript Found in a Copper Cylinder, which was published after his death and is often remembered for its imaginative, unusual vision.

De Mille died in Halifax on January 28, 1880. Though he is not as widely known today as some later Canadian writers, he remains an important early figure in Canadian literature because of his range, his wit, and the sheer ambition of his writing life.