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Robert Dickson (July 23, 1944 – March 19, 2007)[1] was a Canadian poet, translator and academic. Born and raised in Erin, Ontario, he spent much of his life and career living in Sudbury.[2]
He studied French language and literature at the University of Toronto and Université Laval, receiving his doctorate in 1972,[2] and spent his academic career as a professor for the Department of French Studies and Translation at Laurentian University in Sudbury.[1] He won the Governor General's Award for French language poetry in 2002, for his book Humains paysages en temps de paix relative (ISBN 978-2894231449).[3]
His first poetry collection, Une bonne trentaine (ISBN 978-0889840447) was published by The Porcupine's Quill in 1975, the only French language work ever published by that company.[2] A poem from that collection, "Au nord de notre vie", was set to music by the folk rock group CANO, and came to be adopted as an anthem of Franco-Ontarian culture.[2] His later poetry collections, all published by Prise de parole, included Or(é)alité (1978, ISBN 978-0920814093), Abris nocturnes (1986, ISBN 978-0920814888), Grand ciel bleu par ici (1997, ISBN 978-2894230664) and Libertés provisoires (2005, ISBN 978-2894231753).
A compilation of his poetry, translated into English by Jo-Anne Elder, was published by Guernica Editions under the title Human Presences and Possible Futures (2013, ISBN 978-1550716665).
He also translated both French and English literary works, including English translations of works by Jean-Marc Dalpé and French translations of works by Tomson Highway[1] and Lola Lemire Tostevin.[2]
Over the course of his career, he was also awarded the Prix du CCRCF from the University of Ottawa's Centre for Research on French Canadian Culture[2] and the Prix Nouvel-Ontario,[2] and was named to the Ordre de la Pléiade in 2005.[2]
Dickson died at his home in Sudbury on March 19, 2007, from brain cancer.[1]
"Si je peux poser quelques pierre blanches
pour baliser le sentier à inventer,
je ne serais que très content,
croyant que j'ai ainsi fait quelque chosede valable avec ma vie." — Robert Dickson [4]
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