Media Releases
U of T Mississauga professor wins Governor General’s Literary Award
November 16, 2010
TORONTO, ON — Richard Greene, a professor in the Department of English and Drama, has won the 2010 Governor General’s Literary Award for Poetry for his book, Boxing the Compass.
His book, published by Signal Editions, was selected from 171 submitted English poetry titles to receive the $25,000 prize. “This year’s recipients are excellent representatives of the talent and immense creativity of Canadian writers, illustrators and translators. I would like to offer my sincerest congratulations to these artists, people who – through their passion – ignite our love of reading with every new book,” said His Excellency the Right Honourable David Johnston, Governor General of Canada.
Johnston will present the 2010 Governor General’s Literary Awards on Thursday, Nov, 25 at 6 p.m. during a ceremony at Rideau Hall. In addition to the cash award, Greene and the other winners will receive specially bound copies of their books, created by Montreal bookbinder Lise Dubois, at the Rideau Hall ceremony.
According to the jury, “Richard Greene’s Boxing the Compass leaves us feeling unmoored, adrift across time and voice. The matchless long poem at its heart pulls us back to our always-moving selves, on an always-moving earth. We follow him in his offbeat but strangely familiar travels.”
The awards, Canada’s oldest and most prestigious awards for English- and French-language Canadian literature, will be presented to 14 authors, illustrators and translators in the categories of fiction, poetry, drama, non fiction, children’s literature (text and illustration) and translation.
Greene has published two previous books of poetry and is the editor of the widely acclaimed Graham Greene: A Life in Letters. Greene teaches 20th century British literature and creative writing, and his next book, Hide and Seek: The Life of Edith Sitwell, is currently in press.
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Nicolle Wahl
Manager
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University of Toronto Mississauga
905–569-4656
nicolle.wahl@utoronto.ca
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