George McWhirter
Encyclopedia
George McWhirter is a Northern Irish-Canadian writer, translator, editor, teacher and Vancouver’s first Poet Laureate.
The son of a shipyard worker, George McWhirter was raised in a large extended family on the Shankill Road in Belfast
. In 1957 he began a “combined scholarship” studying English and Spanish at Queen’s University, Belfast, and education at Stranmillis College, Belfast
. His tutor at Queen’s was the poet Laurence Lerner
, and he was a classmate with the future literary critic Robert Dunbar and the poets Seamus Heaney
and Seamus Deane
. After graduating, McWhirter taught in Kilkeel
and Bangor
, County Down
, Northern Ireland
, and in Barcelona
, Spain
, before moving to Port Alberni, B.C. Canada. After receiving his M.A. from the University of British Columbia
(UBC), where he studied under Michael Bullock and J. Michael Yates
, he stayed on to become a Full Professor in 1982 and Head of the Creative Writing Department from 1983 to 1993. He retired as a Professor Emeritus in 2005. He was associated with PRISM international magazine from 1968 to 2005. McWhirter is the author and editor of numerous books and the recipient of many awards. His first book of poetry, Catalan Poems, was a joint winner of the first Commonwealth Poetry Prize with Chinua Achebe’s Beware, Soul Brother. He was made a life member of the League of Canadian Poets in 2005 and is also a member of the Writers’ Union of Canada, PEN International, the Federation of B.C. Writers and the Literary Translators’ Association of Canada.
In March 2007, he was named Vancouver’s inaugural Poet Laureate for a two-year term. He currently writes full–time and lives in Vancouver with his wife. They have two children.
The son of a shipyard worker, George McWhirter was raised in a large extended family on the Shankill Road in Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
. In 1957 he began a “combined scholarship” studying English and Spanish at Queen’s University, Belfast, and education at Stranmillis College, Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
. His tutor at Queen’s was the poet Laurence Lerner
Laurence Lerner
Laurence Lerner is a South African born British literary critic and poet and novelist. He was born in Cape Town to parents of Lithuanian-Jewish ancestry, and educated at the University of Cape Town and Pembroke College, Cambridge....
, and he was a classmate with the future literary critic Robert Dunbar and the poets Seamus Heaney
Seamus Heaney
Seamus Heaney is an Irish poet, writer and lecturer. He lives in Dublin. Heaney has received the Nobel Prize in Literature , the Golden Wreath of Poetry , T. S. Eliot Prize and two Whitbread prizes...
and Seamus Deane
Seamus Deane
Seamus Deane is an Irish poet, novelist, and critic.Born in Derry, Northern Ireland, Deane was born into a Catholic nationalist family. He attended St. Columb's College in Derry, Queen's University Belfast and Pembroke College, Cambridge University . At St...
. After graduating, McWhirter taught in Kilkeel
Kilkeel
Kilkeel is a small town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is the main fishing port on the Down coast, and its harbour houses one of the largest fishing fleets in Ireland. It had a population of 6,338 people according to the 2001 Census...
and Bangor
Bangor, County Down
Bangor is a large town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is a seaside resort on the southern side of Belfast Lough and within the Belfast Metropolitan Area. Bangor Marina is one of the largest in Ireland, and holds Blue Flag status...
, County Down
County Down
-Cities:*Belfast *Newry -Large towns:*Dundonald*Newtownards*Bangor-Medium towns:...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
, and in Barcelona
Barcelona
Barcelona is the second largest city in Spain after Madrid, and the capital of Catalonia, with a population of 1,621,537 within its administrative limits on a land area of...
, Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
, before moving to Port Alberni, B.C. Canada. After receiving his M.A. from the University of British Columbia
University of British Columbia
The University of British Columbia is a public research university. UBC’s two main campuses are situated in Vancouver and in Kelowna in the Okanagan Valley...
(UBC), where he studied under Michael Bullock and J. Michael Yates
J. Michael Yates
J. Michael Yates is a Canadian poet and dramatist.J. Michael Yates was born in the Ozark Mountains of Missouri and did graduate degrees at the Universities of Missouri and Michigan and received an honorary doctorate from Ohio University. He is a widely published author of poetry, fiction, drama,...
, he stayed on to become a Full Professor in 1982 and Head of the Creative Writing Department from 1983 to 1993. He retired as a Professor Emeritus in 2005. He was associated with PRISM international magazine from 1968 to 2005. McWhirter is the author and editor of numerous books and the recipient of many awards. His first book of poetry, Catalan Poems, was a joint winner of the first Commonwealth Poetry Prize with Chinua Achebe’s Beware, Soul Brother. He was made a life member of the League of Canadian Poets in 2005 and is also a member of the Writers’ Union of Canada, PEN International, the Federation of B.C. Writers and the Literary Translators’ Association of Canada.
In March 2007, he was named Vancouver’s inaugural Poet Laureate for a two-year term. He currently writes full–time and lives in Vancouver with his wife. They have two children.
Poetry
- Catalan Poems (1971, winner of the 1972 Commonwealth Poetry Prize)
- Queen of the Sea (1976)
- Twenty-Five (1978)
- The Island Man (1981)
- Fire before Dark (1983)
- A Staircase for All Souls (1996)
- Incubus: The Dark Side of the Light (1997)
- The Book of Contradictions (2002)
- The Incorrection (2007, finalist for the Dorothy Livesay Poetry PrizeDorothy Livesay Poetry PrizeThe Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize, established in 1986, is awarded annually to the best collection of poetry by a resident of British Columbia, Canada.One of the B.C. Book Prizes, the award was originally known as the B.C. Prize for Poetry...
) - The Anachronicles (2008)
Fiction
- Bodyworks (1974)
- God’s Eye (1981)
- Coming to Grips with Lucy (1982)
- A Bad Day to Be Winning (1984)
- Paula Lake (1985)
- Cage (1987,winner of the Ethel Wilson Fiction PrizeEthel Wilson Fiction PrizeThe Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize, established in 1985 as one of the BC Book Prizes, is awarded annually to the best work of fiction by a resident of British Columbia, Canada....
) - The Listeners (1991)
- Musical Dogs (1996)
Anthologies edited
- Contemporary Poetry of British Columbia (1970, with J. Michael Yates and Andreas SchroederAndreas SchroederAndreas Schroeder is a German-born Canadian poet, novelist, and nonfiction writer who lives in the small town of Roberts Creek, British Columbia...
) - Words From Inside: Prison Arts Foundation (1974, 1975)
- Where Words Like Monarchs Fly: A Cross-generational Anthology of Mexican Poets in Translation (1998)
- A Verse Map of Vancouver (2009)
Selected poems edited and translations
- Jose Emilio Pacheco: Selected Poems (1987, winner of the F.R. Scott Prize for Translation)
- Homero Aridjis: Eyes to See Otherwise/Ojos de Otro (2001, 2002, with Betty Aridjis)
- Homero Aridjis, Solar Poems/Poemas Solares (City Lights, San Francisco, 2010)
See also
- The Canadian Who’s Who
- The Oxford Companion to Canadian Literature 1997
- The Concise Oxford Companion to Canadian Literature 2001
External links
- George McWhirter's Home Page: http://www3.telus.net/GeorgeMcWhirter/
- Teaching Tributes: http://www.ccfi.educ.ubc.ca/publication/insights/v09n02/poet/resident/tribute.html
- Reading Poetry: http://www.ccfi.educ.ubc.ca/publication/insights/v08n01/poet/resident.html
- Video of introduction to City Council and presentation as first Vancouver Poet Laureate: http://cityofvan-as1.insinc.com/ibc/mp/md/open/c/317/1198/200703131345wv150en,001
- Writing Poetry:http://www.canlit.ca/canlitpoets.php?page=poems&poemid=207)