▁editor ship ▁in ▁ 1 9 7 7 , ▁having ▁edited ▁ 7 3 ▁issues ▁of ▁the ▁journal . ▁After ▁Wood cock ' s ▁ret irement , ▁the ▁University ▁of ▁British ▁Columbia ▁invited ▁William ▁H . ▁New , ▁who ▁had ▁been ▁an ▁assistant ▁editor ▁since ▁ 1 9 6 5 , ▁to ▁act ▁as ▁editor . ▁Under ▁New ' s ▁editor ship , ▁the ▁journal ▁" o ften ▁placed ▁the ▁Canadian ▁within ▁the ▁bro ader ▁Commonwealth ▁field " ▁of ▁post colon ial ▁criticism . ▁New ▁chose ▁to ▁give ▁priority ▁to ▁First ▁Nations , ▁Asian ▁Canadian , ▁Car ib bean ▁Canadian ▁and ▁other ▁minor ity ▁liter atures , ▁which ▁previously ▁had ▁been ▁under - re present ed ▁in ▁Canadian ▁literary ▁criticism . ▁For ▁example , ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 5 ▁New ▁had ▁Joseph ▁P iv ato ▁co - edit ▁an ▁issue ▁devoted ▁to ▁Italian - Can ad ian ▁writers ▁( number ▁ 1 0 6 ), ▁and ▁in ▁ 1 9 9 0 ▁he ▁edited ▁the ▁first ▁special ▁issue ▁on ▁Ind igen ous ▁liter atures ▁in ▁Canada , ▁titled ▁Native ▁Writ ers ▁& ▁Canadian ▁Writing ▁( no . ▁ 1 2 4 - 1 2 5 , ▁published ▁the ▁same ▁year ▁as ▁a ▁book ▁by ▁University ▁of ▁British ▁Columbia ▁Press ). ▁New ' s ▁work ▁as ▁the ▁journal ' s ▁editor ▁has ▁been ▁described ▁as ▁" p ione er [ ing ] ▁in ▁changing ▁pre con ception s ▁about ▁Canadian ▁writing ▁throughout ▁the ▁ 1 9 8 0 s " ▁and ▁the ▁Canadian