Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland in 1939, George McWhirter received a B.A. and his Diploma in Education from Queens’ University Belfast, and his M.A. from the University of British Columbia. He has taught in Ireland, Spain and British Columbia. In 1966, he came to Canada, and since 1968 has lived in Vancouver with frequent sojourns in Mexico and Spain. George McWhirter taught at the University of British Columbia from 1970 to 2005 and is now Professor Emeritus. During that time he was associated with PRISM international magazine.
McWhirter was appointed the first Poet Laureate of Vancouver in March 2007. He has over ten books of poetry, and his poems have appeared in anthologies in Canada, the United States, Mexico and Ireland. His poetry has been translated into Spanish.
Currently George McWhirter writes full-time and occasionally gives poetry and literary translation workshops.
Awards
Macmillan Co. of Canada, Prize, poetry, 1969.
Commonwealth Poetry Prize (co-winner), 1972.
Ethel Wilson Fiction Prize, 1988.
F.R. Scott Translation Award, 1988.
League of Canadian Poets Canadian Poetry Chapbook Competition, winner, 1998.
Killam Prize for Teaching, University of British Columbia, 1998.
Killam Award for Mentoring, 2004.
Sam Black Award for Service to Creative & Performing Arts, 2005.
Selected Publications
The Anachronicles (Ronsdale Press, 2008) ISBN: 978-1-55380-054-5
The Incorrection (Oolichan Books, 2007) ISBN: 978-0-88982-243-6
The Book of Contradictions (Oolichan Books, 2002) ISBN: 0-88982-206-9
Ovid in Saskatchewan (The League of Canadian Poets, 1998) ISBN: 1-896216-09-9
Incubus: The Dark Side of the Light. (Oberon Press, 1994).
A Staircase for All Souls (Oolichan Books, 1993) ISBN: 0-88982-120-8
Selected Poems of Jose Emilio Pacheco (New Directions, 1987) ISBN: 0-8112-1021-9
Fire Before Dark. (Oberon Press, 1983) ISBN: 0-88750-503-1
Queen of the Sea (Oberon Press, 1976) ISBN:0-88750-198-2
Catalan Poems (Oberon Press, 1971) ISBN: 0-88750-41-2
Selected Anthologies
Long Journey: Contemporary Northwest Poets (Oregon State University Press, 2006) ISBN: 0-87071-098-2
Irish Writing in the Twentieth Century (Cork University Press, 2000) ISBN: 1-85918-258-5
The Penguin Book of Canadian Verse (Penguin Books, 1991) ISBN: 0-14-04329-X
Books in Print
McWhirter, George
The Anachronicles (Ronsdale Press, 2008) ISBN: 978-1-55380-054-5, $15.95
The Incorrection (Oolichan Books, 2007) ISBN: 978-0-88982-243-6, $17.95
The Book of Contradictions (Oolichan Books, 2002) ISBN: 0-88982-206-9, $16.95
Ovid in Saskatchewan (The League of Canadian Poets, 1998) ISBN: 1-896216-09-9
A Staircase for All Souls (Oolichan Books, 1993) ISBN: 0-88982-120-8, $10.95
Selected Poems of Jose Emilio Pacheco (New Directions, 1987) ISBN: 0-8112-1021-9, $23.95
George McWhirter, 4637 West 13th Ave., Vancouver, B.C., V6R 2V6, (604)
224-7014
Email:
mcwhirte@unixg.ubc.ca
Website: http://www3.telus.net/GeorgeMcWhirter
Link: www.vancouververse.ca
Link: http://www.ccfi.educ.ubc.ca/insights/
