Alice Major

Alice Major has published 10 poetry collections, a book of essays (Intersecting Sets: A Poet Looks at Science) and two novels for young readers. Her work has appeared in dozens of literary magazines and more than 20 anthologies. Her latest book, Standard Candles, received the Robert Kroetsch Award for Poetry (Book Publishers Association of Alberta), and was shortlisted for the Raymond Souster Award (League of Canadian Poets) and the Stephan G. Stephansson Award (Writers Guild of Alberta.)

She has served as president of the Writers Guild of Alberta, chair of the Edmonton Arts Council and past president of the League of Canadian Poets. In 2005, she was appointed to a two-year term as the first poet laureate for the City of Edmonton, and was inducted into the City of Edmonton’s Arts & Culture Hall of Fame in 2012. In 2016, she was designated one of 25 “Influential Alberta Artists” by the Alberta Foundation for the Arts. In 2019, she received an honorary doctorate of letters from the University of Alberta.

Lately, Alice and her work have been featured on a number of blogs, particularly in connection with her interest in science and concern for climate change.

Alice emigrated to Canada at the age of eight and grew up in Toronto before coming west to work as a weekly newspaper reporter in central British Columbia. She has lived in Edmonton, Alberta since 1981.

Queen Elizabeth II’s Platinum Jubilee Medal 2022