Recent History – 2000
Oct. 10, 2000
ROLLA, B.C. — Poets Susan Musgrave and Barry McKinnon will be performing on the first night of the two-evening festival Nov. 17 and 18, at the Rolla Hall, 7 p.m. start.
Susan Musgrave lives near Sidney, British Columbia where she works as a poet, novelist, columnist, reviewer, editor and non-fiction writer.
Her most recent books of poetry are Things That Keep and Do Not Change, published by McClelland & Stewart in 1999 and The Selected Poems of Susan Musgrave, published by Beach Holme in 2000. Her latest novel, Cargo of Orchids, will be launched in Victoria the day after her reading at the Festival.
Susan has been short-listed for the Governor General’s Award four times. She has won a National Magazine Award (silver) 1981, the R.P. Adams Memorial Prize for Short Fiction (USA), the b.p. nichol Poetry Chapbook Award, 1991, and the People’s Choice Poetry Award, Prairie Schooner Magazine, 1994.
Barry McKinnon studied with Irving Layton at Sir George Williams University in Montreal where he received his B.A. in 1967. He graduated in 1969 with an M.A. from U.B.C. (Vancouver) and was hired that same year to teach English at The College of New Caledonia in Prince George where he has lived ever since.
McKinnon is the author of several books of poetry including The Coach House Press) which was shortlisted for the Governor Generals Award for Poetry. His 1991 book, Pulp Log, won the Dorothy Livesay Poetry Award (BC Book Awards) and in 1994 his book Arrhythmia won the bp nichol Chap-Book Award for best chapbook published in Canada in English. His most recent book is The Walk, published in 1999 by Gorse Press. Active as an editor/publisher/designer since the late 60s. He has published over 125 titles (broadsides and chapbooks by mostly Canadian Writers) through The Caledonia Writing Series and Gorse Press.