George Bowering, Parliamentary Poet Laureate 2002-2004
George Bowering is one of the country's most respected and beloved authors. In his remarkable career, he has written more than 60 books of poetry, fiction and non-fiction, winning the Governor-General's Award twice.
Born 1 December 1935, Penticton, B.C., to Ewart Bowering and Pearl Brinson Bowering.
Attended Victoria College (Victoria, B.C.), University of British Columbia, and University of Western Ontario. MA from UBC in 1963.
Royal Canadian Air Force photographer, 1954-1957.
Writer-in-residence, Sir George Williams University, Montreal, 1967-1968. Stopped PhD studies at UWO to take that position.
Teaching: University of Calgary, 1963-1966; Sir George Williams University (now Concordia University), 1968-1971; Simon Fraser University, 1972-2001. Short terms at various colleges and universities in Canada and the U.S., as well as Rome, Berlin and Aarhus.
Governor-General's Award for Poetry, 1969.(Shortlist, 2000)
Governor-General's Award for Fiction, 1980.
bp Nichol Chapbook Award for poetry, 1991.
bp Nichol Chapbook Award for poetry, 1992.
Canadian Authors' Association Award for Poetry, 1993.
Honorary Degree (D. Litt.), University of British Columbia, 1994.
Officer of the Order of Canada, 2002.
Parliamentary Poet Laureate, 2002-2004.
Honorary Degree (D. Litt.), University of Western Ontario, 2003.
News
11 August 2004 Unassuming and candid Poet Laureate Bowering charms ArtSpring audience
3 April 2004
George Bowering's book "Stone Country" shortlisted for Stephen Leacock Memorial Medal for Humour - www.leacock.ca
30 March 2004 Canada's poet laureate gives reading at Brock
24 March 2004 Nominations open for Canada’s Parliamentary Poet Laureate
21 January 2004 George Bowering selects book for Western Reads program
Winter 2003
On wine bottles and web sites: How the Nation's First Poet Laureate is Managing the "Strange Situation" of Poetry in Canada
18 November 2003
Western's best-book contest to be decided by votes of readers - canoe.ca
8 October 2003 Bush inspires readers; let us count the ways
5 October 2003 Very short stories
September 2003 George Bowering Named Writer-in-Residence
11 January 2003 Mediaontap: Writing Life - David Tracey and Guests
Episode: George Bowering "The King Is In". "In the houseboat, that is. We've got Canada's very own Poet Laureate as our guest. So what did Jean Chrétien say when the author of "Egotists and Autocrats: Canada's Prime Ministers" showed up in Ottawa to collect his wreath? Click in to hear that and His Wordliness' take on poetics, politics and driving drunk behind the wheel of public affairs."
27 November 2002 ZeD (CBC) - Haiku Blessing - "Canada's first Parliamentary Poet Laureate declares the opening of ZeD's haiku episode."
18 November 2002 Canada AM (CTV) - George Bowering, Canada's first poet laureate
24 November 2001 Calgary Writers House, Interview - The interview was a CWH event that took place at Derek Beaulieu's house in Calgary on Nov. 24 2001 with Jason Wiens, Andrea Struden recording and Derek as well as Jean Baird.
23 November 2001 Calgary Writers House, Reading - The event was a reading hosted by Jason Weins and sponsored by the Department of English at the University of Calgary. The reading took place on November 23, 2001 in the evening on campus in the social sciences building. The room was full of students and faculty including Fred Wah, Aritha Van Herk, Pauline Buntling. George read and answered questions.
1973 - 2003 Archive - ArtsCanada (CBC)
Canada Reads, 2003
The Arts Today, 2000
Don Harron's Morningside, 1980
This Country in the Morning, 1973
Poems
“Whatever You Do” Mr. Bowering's first official poem as Parliamentary Poet Laureate was published in his home paper, the Vancouver Sun in December 2002.
L'Infocentre littéraire des écrivains - Île is a unique site which posts on-line biographies and bibliographies of more than 900 Quebec authors and 275 press kits.
Philly Talks - "PhillyTalks" is a dialogue with contemporary poets, begun in 1997 (archived website hosted on the Centre for Programs on Contemporary Writting, University of Pennsylvania).
The Capilano Review - Since its inception in 1972, The Capilano Review has published some of the finest fiction, poetry, drama and visual art in Canada and throughout the world.
Housepress
A micropress dedicated to experimental and unusual forms of poetry and prose. (Update 04/2015: Link no longer active.)
