Leonard Byron Peterson (March 15, 1917 – February 28, 2008) was a Canadian novelist, playwright, and screenwriter.[1]
He wrote more than a thousand different dramatic works for film, radio stage, and television.[1]
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.[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, Peterson was a key figure in the establishment of both the trade union ACTRA and the charity 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]