George Elliott Clarke (O.C., O.N.S., Ph.D.) is the son of William and Geraldine Clarke, themselves descendants of African-American immigrants to Nova Scotia. A life-long academic, he received an Honours B.A. in English in 1984 (University of Waterloo), M.A. in English in 1989 (Dalhousie University), Ph.D. in English in 1993 (Queen’s University). In 1994, Clarke was appointed Assistant Professor of English and Canadian Studies at Duke University. Concurrently, he also served as the Seagram Visiting Chair in Canadian Studies at McGill University (1998-99). In 1999, Clarke accepted an appointment at the University of Toronto, where he is the inaugural E.J. Pratt Professor of Canadian Literature, a position established specifically for a poet-professor.

Clarke has issued 9 poetry texts, 3 chapbooks, 4 plays in verse (and 3 opera libretti), a novel, a scholarly essay collection, and edited 2 anthologies. He has 2 titles in translation: Chinese and Romanian. Clarke has also won laurels for his work as an anthologist and scholar of African-Canadian literature, a field of study that he has pioneered. His honours include: The Archibald Lampman Award for Poetry (1991), The Portia White Prize for Artistic Excellence (1998), A Bellagio Center (Italy) Fellowship (1998), The Governor-General’s Literary Award for Poetry (2001), The National Magazine Gold Award for Poetry (2001), The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Achievement Award (2004), The Pierre Elliott Trudeau Fellowship Prize (2005), The Frontieras Poesis Premiul (Romania, 2005), The Estelle and Ludwig Jus Memorial Human Rights Award (2005), The Dartmouth Book Award for Fiction (2006), The William P. Hubbard Award for Race Relations (2008), The Eric Hoffer Book Award for Poetry (2009), Appointment to the Order of Nova Scotia (2006), and Appointment to the Order of Canada (2008).

Clarke also holds 6 honorary doctorates.

Hymn to Portia White (II)

Portia, oh Portia, oh Portia White—
Voice like silver and skin like night,
You made each song a flaming dart—
A meteor to light each heart.

Born for glory, never forget—
The day’s not done when sun has set.
Behind you glimmers History;
Before you glitters Destiny.

Come out of Truro, Lil Zion,
Where Love is pure contradiction:
White-robed Baptists face white-sheet Klan,
Both preaching love for God and man.

Stroll through the Marsh, hear water speak
New Testament Hebrew and Greek.
Raise the church roof, raise it up high:
Watch Caesar Jesus stride the sky.

King Jesus rides a milk-white horse:
The Cobequid River, you will cross.
No man’s a-gonna hinder you:
Let oceans cry all gospel blues.

Stand proud in a cold field of snow,
Tell Nova Scotia, you must go,
Sail to Cuba, fly to Brazil,
Entrance the crowds, enchant and thrill.

Take to New York, hear critics praise
Your voice that sets stone hearts ablaze.
Conquer London, and quake the Queen:
Beauty like yours, there’s never been.

By and by, you lay down burdens:
Sweet Jesus heals all your hurtin.
You go home to our Lord and are free:
African Baptist prophecy.

Oh Coloured gal, our very own
Down-to-earth genius by God’s Throne.
You’re our glory, we, each freed slave:
The North Star is your lustrous grave.