Leonard Byron Peterson (March 15, 1917 – February 28, 2008) was a Canadian playwright, screenwriter and novelist.[1] He has written more than a thousand different dramatic works for stage, screen, television, and radio.[1]
A native of Regina, Saskatchewan, he attended Luther College and Northwestern University, and served in the Canadian Infantry Corps during World War II.[1] 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.[2] 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, he was a key figure in the establishment of both ACTRA and the Playwrights Guild of Canada.[1] He was the winner of ACTRA's John Drainie Award for distinguished lifetime contributions to Canadian broadcasting at the 3rd ACTRA Awards in 1974.[3]
