IF YOU HAVE any sort of serious involvement with its subject, Who's Who in Canadian Literature 1992-93 (Reference Press, 369 pages, $35 paper), edited by Gordon Ripley and Anne Mercer, is a must acquisition. The book includes basic biographical information about more than 1, 100 living writers: dates of birth, education, published works, prizes, and mailing addresses, with entries concerning francophone writers written in French. The emphasis is on "literary" folk, although this has been interpreted loosely enough to permit the inclusion of authors of mass-market fiction and non-fiction and children's books.

Robust though it is, this is by no means an all-inclusive volume. A cursory check of its entries reveals that Michael Coren, Rita Donovan, Douglas Fetherling, George Galt, Terence Green, and Gail Scott are among those not listed, which suggests that there are probably many other omissions. There are also some questionable editorial decisions in evidence, among which the detailed listing of Betty Jane Wylie's unpublished theatre works and Barbara Caruso's arts grants suggest an overly accepting attitude on the part of the editors. But despite these minor defects, Who's Who in Canadian Literature 1992-93 deserves a place in any self-respecting reference library.