John Robert Colombo

Born in Kitchener, Ontario, in 1936, John Robert Colombo is a Canadian writer, editor, and poet with an extensive bibliography of over 200 titles. He began his literary journey in the late 1950s at the University of Toronto, where he organized literary events. His early career saw him publishing poetry and facilitating the debut works of notable Canadian authors like Margaret Atwood, Hugh Hood, and Alice Munro through his Hawkshead Press imprint. He was also involved with the Bohemian Embassy, where he pioneered "found poetry" in Canada, and held editorial roles with prominent publishing houses such as McClelland and Stewart and Hurtig.

Colombo's prolific output includes numerous anthologies and reference works. He gained significant recognition for his collections of quotations, folk tales, paranormal stories, and UFO sightings. His work on anthologies earned him the titles "the Master Gatherer" and "Canada's Mr. Mystery." In the 1990s, he established his own publishing imprint, Colombo and Company. His contributions to Canadian literature have been recognized with various awards and honors, including an honorary doctorate from York University and membership in the Order of Canada.

John Robert Colombo's literary career commenced in the late 1950s while he was a student at the University of Toronto. It was during this period that he began organizing literary events. By the early 1960s, he was actively writing and publishing poetry, with his first collection, "Lines for the Last Days," featuring illustrations by William Kurelek. Colombo also established the Hawkshead Press imprint, through which he played a crucial role in launching the careers of other writers. He published Margaret Atwood's inaugural poetry collection in 1963 and was instrumental in the first fiction publications of Hugh Hood and Alice Munro. Furthermore, he facilitated the initial mass-market science fiction story by Robert J. Sawyer. His involvement with the Bohemian Embassy in Toronto led him to serve as its literary manager, where he not only wrote poetry but also pioneered the concept of "found poetry" within Canada.

In the early 1970s, Colombo shifted his focus towards compiling anthologies, starting with "Colombo's Canadian Quotations," a collection of sayings from prominent Canadians. This initial success paved the way for dozens of subsequent collections. His anthologies spanned a wide range of subjects, including bibliographies of Canadian reference materials, collections of folk tales, and compilations of accounts related to the paranormal and UFO sightings. By 2014, his published works exceeded 200 titles, positioning him as the second most prolific author in Canadian literary history. This extensive work in gathering and presenting diverse material earned him the moniker "the Master Gatherer" among his peers and literary critics. His specific focus on the mysterious and unexplained also led to him being dubbed "Canada's Mr. Mystery."

Following his extensive work with established publishing houses and his prolific output of anthologies, John Robert Colombo initiated his own publishing venture in the 1990s. Under the banner of his imprint, Colombo and Company, he continued to release his writings, maintaining creative control and direct engagement with his readership. This period marked a consolidation of his independent spirit within the Canadian literary landscape. His career has been marked by a consistent dedication to exploring and presenting Canadian voices and narratives, whether through poetry, reference works, or collections that delve into the more unusual aspects of human experience and belief.