Margaret Eleanor Anne Hart (née Hill) CM (October 7, 1935 – October 9, 2019) was a
Canadian author who specialized in biographies. She was best known for her
Agatha Christie character biographies: The Life and Times of
Miss Jane Marple and The Life and Times of
Hercule Poirot, and for her role as head of the
Centre for Newfoundland Studies from 1976 until her retirement on January 1, 1998.[2] In 2004, Hart was made a Member of the
Order of Canada for her "lasting contributions to the cultural life of her province."[3]
She later moved to
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, where she became a librarian at
Memorial University in 1972, working with her mentor
Agnes O'Dea. Four years later, she became head of the university's
Centre for Newfoundland Studies (CNS).[2] The CNS acquires books, maps, and documents relevant to
Newfoundland and Labrador; while Hart was head, the Centre's collection expanded considerably, from roughly 20,000 volumes to 60,000.[5] Also during Hart's tenure, the CNS grew to include an archive, which complemented the centre's book collection.[2] Another notable accomplishment came in 1986, when the CNS was instrumental in the creation of The Bibliography of Newfoundland, a two-volume scholarly work published by the
University of Toronto Press in association with Memorial University. Hart retired on January 1, 1998.[2]
Awards
Member of the Order of Canada. Awarded on October 29, 2004, invested on September 9, 2005, for her contributions to the cultural life of Newfoundland and Labrador.[7] Her citation states: "As Head of the Memorial University Libraries' Centre for Newfoundland Studies, she was instrumental in building a priceless and internationally renowned collection of Newfoundlandiana. These heritage books and documents will provide generations of students, scholars and the public with a record of the history of Newfoundland and Labrador.[3]
Hart's collaboration with
Roberta Buchanan and
Bryan Greene on The Woman Who Mapped Labrador: The Life and Expedition Diary of
Mina Hubbard was shortlisted for the
Winterset Award for excellence in Newfoundland and Labrador writing.[8]
For her achievements as a biographer and for her contributions to Newfoundland studies, Hart was awarded an honorary doctor of letters degree by
Memorial University of Newfoundland.[9]
Library Trustees' Association Annual Merit Award, for outstanding library trustee, 1986.[10]
Literary works
Sole authorship
Hart's biographies of
Miss Marple and
Hercule Poirot were written with the full endorsement of Agatha Christie Limited.[11]
Into Unknown Labrador - an article published in Rediscovering Canada - Image, Place and Text (Nordic Association for Canadian Studies Text Series Vol. 16) edited by Gudrun Bjork Gudsteins.
ISBN9789979544616. Publisher: University of Iceland Press. Publication date: 2001/12/01.
CBC Radio Ideas documentary: "Into Unknown Labrador: The Mina Hubbard Story", 1998-05-28.[13] This lecture was also delivered by Hart to The Newfoundland Historical Society on January 27, 2000.[14]