Len Peterson

{{Short description|Canadian novelist, playwright, screenwriter and novelist (1917–2008)}}

{{for|the Australian rules footballer|Len Peterson (footballer)}}

Leonard Byron Peterson (March 15, 1917 – February 28, 2008) was a Canadian novelist, playwright, and screenwriter.Colin Boyd, [https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/leonard-byron-peterson "Leonard Byron Peterson"]. The Canadian Encyclopedia, November 1, 2011.

Peterson wrote more than a thousand different dramatic works for film, radio stage, and television.

Early life and education

A native of Regina, Saskatchewan, Peterson attended Luther College in Regina; Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois; and served in the Canadian Infantry Corps during World War II.

Career

His career started in 1939 when he sold a script to the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation; one of his earliest successes was the radio play They're All Afraid (1944), which was written for the CBC Radio program Stage '44.Anne Nothof, [https://www.canadiantheatre.com/dict.pl?term=Peterson%2C%20Len "Peterson, Len"]. Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia, October 24, 2014. The play received much criticism for depicting life in Canada negatively at a time when it was thought that boosting wartime morale was more appropriate. They're All Afraid went on to win the award for best drama in a broadcasting festival in Ohio. It was later adapted by Peterson for the stage.

In addition to his writing, Peterson was a key figure in the establishment of both the trade union ACTRA and the charity Playwrights Guild of Canada.

=Award=

He was the winner of ACTRA's John Drainie Award for distinguished lifetime contributions to Canadian broadcasting at the 3rd ACTRA Awards in 1974.Nelson, James (March 4, 1974). [https://www.newspapers.com/clip/105763466/ "The Women Walk Off with ACTRA Awards"].

Vancouver Sun. Retrieved July 22, 2024.