Florence Randal Livesay

Florence Randal Livesay, born in Compton, Quebec, in 1874, was a prominent Canadian writer, translator, and journalist. The daughter of Mary Louisa Andrews and Stephen Randal, she received her education at the Compton Ladies' College. Her career began in New York City, where she taught for a year before returning to Canada to work as a society editor and women's page editor for the Evening Journal in Ottawa for seven years.

In 1902, Livesay was among forty Canadian teachers sent to South Africa to educate children in Boer concentration camps. After relocating to Winnipeg in 1903, she contributed her talents to the Winnipeg Telegram for three years and later to the Manitoba Free Press. Her literary contributions extended beyond journalism, as she wrote short stories, poetry, and articles for various magazines and newspapers across Canada and the United States, and she was known for her translations of Ukrainian poetry into English.

In 1908, she married John Frederick Bligh Livesay, and together they had two daughters, including the celebrated poet Dorothy Livesay. Florence played a crucial role in nurturing Dorothy's literary career by submitting her early works to journals and providing editorial guidance for her first poetry collections. The family moved to Clarkson, Ontario, near Toronto, in 1920.

After the passing of her husband in 1944, Florence moved to Toronto and later settled in Grimsby, where she lived until her death at the age of seventy-eight. Her legacy as a writer and translator continues to inspire many in the literary community.