Series consists of 29 diaries, dated reading journals and day planners created and preserved by Watson during her adult life. These Material contain fragments of her creative writing; drawings in graphite, coloured pencil and ink; reading notes and language exercises; collected ephemera; recordings of her daily activities and financial transactions; and reflections on her experiences, emotions, relationships and surroundings.
In general Watson kept confessional and reflective diaries from 1954 (1955?) to about 1957. When she moved to Toronto in 1956 to pursue her doctoral studies, Watson began to keep what can be best described as Reading Journals: dated notes pertaining to books she was reading interspersed with short diary entries regarding her correspondence, her observations of her surroundings and her academic experiences. After she moved to Edmonton to teach at the University of Alberta, and upon her retirement in Nanaimo, Watson's recorded thoughts become more infrequent. In her later life, Watson appears to have purchased commercial Day Planners to record her daily activities and financial translations.
It is apparent that Watson kept journals during her early teaching career in Cariboo Country in British Columbia. However, it seems she destroyed these at a later period.
Fonds consists of the manuscripts, journals, correspondence, teaching and student materials of the author and professor of English, Sheila Watson. Also consists of collections of correspondence purchased and preserved by Watson for the purpose of her doctoral thesis and personal interest in Wyndham Lewis. The fonds also includes a sous-fonds of material related to Watson's role as editor of the literary arts journal White Pelican (1971-1974).
The White Pelican editorial material sous-fonds series consists of :
I. Editorial Records
II. Financial Records
III. Design and printing records
IV. Correspondence
Sheila Watson fonds series consist of :
I. Diaries, reading journals and day planners
II. Manuscripts and drafts
III. General correspondence
IV. Publishing records and business correspondence
V. Professional activities materials
VI. Student material
VII. Teaching material
VIII. Research and reference materials
IX. Financial and legal records
X. Personal photographs
XI. Personal records, artwork and artifacts
XII. Ephemera