Judith Merril - Canadian Years

Canadian Years

In the late 1960s, Merril moved to Canada, citing what she called undemocratic suppression of anti-war activities by the U.S. government. She was a founding resident of Rochdale College, an experiment in student-run education and cooperative living, very much part of the zeitgeist of the era. At Rochdale, she was the "Resource Person on Writing and Publishing" with her extensive personal collection of books and unpublished manuscripts.

In 1970 she began an endowment at the Toronto Public Library for the collection of all science fiction published in the English language. She donated all of the books and magazines in her possession to the library, which set up the "Spaced Out Library" (Merril's term), with Merril in a non-administrative role as curator. The library has had its own physical space from the onset. It was renamed in Merril's last decade as the Merril Collection of Science Fiction, Speculation, and Fantasy. Merril received a small annual stipend as curator, and when low on funds, she lived in her office at the library, sleeping on a cot.

From 1978 to 1981 Merril introduced Canadian broadcasts of Doctor Who. As the "Undoctor," Merril presented short (3-7 minute) philosophical commentaries on the show's themes.

Merril was an active organizer and promoter of science fiction in Canada. For example, she founded the Hydra North network of writers. In 1985 she launched and edited the first issue of s, the first Canadian science fiction anthology, which helped to define a particularly Canadian version of science fiction writing.

In the early 1980s, Merril donated to the National Archives of Canada her voluminous collection of correspondence, unpublished manuscripts and Japanese science-fiction material. This became the National Archives' "Judith Merril Fonds."

Merril became a Canadian citizen in 1976. She became active in the Writers' Union. When the Union debated at its annual meeting whether people could write about other genders and ethnic groups, she exclaimed "Who will speak for the aliens?" which closed the debate.

From the mid-1970s until her death, Merril spent much time in the Canadian peace movement, including traveling to Ottawa dressed as a witch in order to hex Parliament for allowing American cruise missile testing over Canada.

She also remained active in the SF world as a commentator and mentor. Her lifetime of work was honoured by the International Authors Festival at the Harbourfront Centre, Toronto. She spent much time working on her memoirs.

The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America (the renamed SFWA) made Merril its Author Emeritus for 1997.

In contemplation of her death, she left a sizable sum of money to hold a celebratory/memorial party at Toronto's Bamboo Club. An organized editor to the end, she prepared detailed lists of who should call whom when she finally died.