George Elliot Clarke, former poet laureate of Toronto

George Elliot Clarke is a renowned Canadian poet, playwright, and literary critic from Windsor, Nova Scotia. In 2001, he won the Governor General’s Award for Poetry and the Trudeau Fellow Prize in 2017. His work is deeply rooted in his African Nova Scotian heritage, and he often draws on historical events and figures to examine the complex experiences of Black people in Canada.

He served as the Poet Laureate of Toronto from 2012 to 2015. Aside from his poetry and writing, Clarke has also been a significant voice in Canadian literary criticism, particularly in African Canadian literature and Black-Canadian studies. George Elliot Clarke is a significant figure in Canadian literature and an unforgettable voice in the ongoing conversations surrounding race and identity in Canada.

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