George Elliott Clarke facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
George Elliott Clarke
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Clarke in 2018.
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| Born | February 12, 1960 Windsor, Nova Scotia, Canada
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| Education | Queen Elizabeth High School |
| Alma mater | University of Waterloo; Dalhousie University; Queen's University |
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| Known for | Poet Laureate of Toronto (2012–2015); Canadian Parliamentary Poet Laureate (2016–2017) |
George Elliott Clarke (born February 12, 1960) is a famous Canadian writer, poet, and teacher. He was the official poet for the city of Toronto from 2012 to 2015. After that, he became the Canadian Parliamentary Poet Laureate for Canada in 2016-2017.
Clarke's writing often explores the lives and history of Black Canadian communities. He focuses on people from Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. He even created a special word, "Africadia," to describe this unique culture and history.
Life and Education
George Elliott Clarke was born in Windsor, Nova Scotia, in 1960. This area is close to Three Mile Plains, a community where Black Loyalists settled. He grew up in Halifax. He finished high school at Queen Elizabeth High School in 1978.
He went on to study at several universities. He earned a degree in English from the University of Waterloo in 1984. Later, he got his Master's degree from Dalhousie University and a PhD from Queen's University. He has also received many special honorary degrees from other universities.
Clarke taught English and Canadian Studies at Duke University for five years. He also taught at McGill University. In 1999, he became a professor at the University of Toronto. He was the first person to hold the E J Pratt Professor of Canadian Literature position there. He has also been a visiting scholar at other universities, including Harvard University.
Besides teaching, Clarke has worked in other interesting roles. He was a researcher for the government in Ontario. He also worked as a social worker for the Black United Front of Nova Scotia. He even wrote columns for a newspaper in Halifax.
Clarke is very active in poetry groups across Canada and other countries. He is also a founder of a music group called Afro-Métis Nation. Their music mixes different styles like blues, spirituals, and traditional Indigenous and Acadian sounds. The group's name shows their mixed heritage, including Africadian and Mi'kmaq roots.
Writing and Ideas
Clarke has written many books, including seventeen collections of poetry. He has also written two novels and four plays or operas. He has helped put together books of writings by other African-Canadian authors.
His work often combines different styles of writing and art. He explores themes like politics, history, and places. Some of his biggest influences include famous figures like Shakespeare, musician Miles Davis, and even politicians like Pierre Elliott Trudeau and Malcolm X.
A key idea in his work is "Africadian" literature. This term combines "Africa" and "Acadia." Acadia was the old name for Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. Clarke uses "Africadian" to talk about the Black communities in these areas. He especially focuses on the descendants of African-American slaves who settled in Nova Scotia. He believes this literature includes both songs and poems, as well as historical stories.
Some of his poems have even been turned into songs by a gospel music group.
Clarke has said that he found inspiration from a group he called the "Gang of Seven." These were thinkers and artists who spoke their minds. He felt their bold and independent styles helped him develop his own unique poetic voice. His poetry and scholarly work challenge racism and discrimination. They also explore how Black Canadians have faced forced moves and a loss of identity.
In his book Fire On The Water, Clarke organizes Black writings using a timeline from the Bible. This shows how Black authors have expressed their experiences. In another book, These Are the Words, he worked with poet John B. Lee. They translated a part of the Bible into everyday English.
Clarke also wrote a play about former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau. He wanted to show Trudeau as a complex person, focusing on his personality rather than just his politics.
In 2012, a book called Africadian Atlantic: Essays on George Elliott Clarke was published. This book looked closely at all of Clarke's writings.
His poetry collections, Canticles I (MXXVI) and Canticles I (MMXVII), are part of a larger epic story. In these poems, he brings together famous thinkers and leaders from different centuries. They discuss important topics like slavery and heritage.
As the Poet Laureate of Toronto, Clarke started the Poets' Corner at City Hall. He also helped create the Toronto Poetry Map. This online map shows places in Toronto mentioned in Canadian poems. He also started the East End Poetry Festival. As Canada's Parliamentary Poet Laureate, his poems were read aloud in Parliament.
Family Connections
George Elliott Clarke comes from a long line of notable people. He is the great-nephew of famous Canadian opera singer Portia White. He is also related to politicians Bill White and Jack White.
He is a seventh-generation African Canadian. His family came to Nova Scotia after the War of 1812. They were African-American refugees who escaped slavery in the United States. His great-grandfather, William Andrew White, was a Baptist preacher and one of the few Black officers in the British army during World War I. Clarke also has Mi'kmaq Indigenous ancestors.
Awards and Honors
George Elliott Clarke has received many awards for his writing and contributions to Canadian culture.
- In 1998, he won the Portia White Prize for Artistic Achievement.
- In 2001, he won the prestigious Governor General's Award for poetry for his book Execution Poems. He also won a National Magazine Gold Medal for Poetry that year.
- He received the Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Achievement Award in 2004.
- He was given the Pierre Elliott Trudeau Fellowship Prize in 2005.
- In 2006, he won the Dartmouth Book Award for Fiction.
- He was appointed to the Order of Nova Scotia in 2006. This is a high honor given by the province.
- In 2008, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. This is one of Canada's highest civilian honors.
- In 2009, he received the William P. Hubbard Award for Race Relations from the City of Toronto. This award recognized his work in promoting understanding of African and Black culture.
- In November 2012, he became Toronto's fourth Poet Laureate.
- In January 2016, he became Canada's seventh Parliamentary Poet Laureate.
- In 2018, the George Elliott Clarke Scholarship Fund was created at Duke University. This helps students study.
- His 2021 book J'Accuse! (Poem versus Silence) was nominated for the 2022 ReLit Award for poetry.
- In 2022, he received the Queen Elizabeth II Platinum Jubilee Medal. This was for his important service to Nova Scotia in the arts.
Here are some other awards he has received:
- 1979: Honourable Mention, Atlantic Writing Competition (Adult Poetry)
- 1981: First Prize, Atlantic Writing Competition (Adult Poetry)
- 1983: Second Prize, Bliss Carman Poetry Award
- 1991: Archibald Lampman Award for Poetry
- 1998: Bellagio Center Fellow, Rockefeller Foundation
- 1999: Alumni Achievement Award, University of Waterloo
- 2006: Frontieras Poesis Premuil [Prize], Poesis Magazine
- 2007: Longlisted for the International Dublin Literary Award, for George and Rue
- 2009: Shortlisted, Dartmouth Book Award for Fiction
- 2010: Shortlisted, Acorn-Plantos Award for People's Poetry
- 2012: Honorary Doctor of Letters degree from Acadia University
- 2012: Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal
- 2012: Excellence in the Arts Award (Canadian Civil Liberties Association)
- 2017: Lifetime Achievement Award, Dalhousie University Alumni Association
- 2017: Trailblazers Award: National Black Canadians Summit
- 2017: Elected, Fellow of the Royal Canadian Geographical Society
See also
- Acadia
- Canadian literature
- Canadian poetry
- List of Canadian poets
- List of Canadian writers
- List of University of Waterloo people
