Stephen Scobie was born in Scotland on the last day of 1943, and has lived in Canada since 1965. He gained a PhD from UBC in Vancouver, taught for twelve years at the University of Alberta in Edmonton, and is now a Professor of English at the University of Victoria. As a poet, he has published over twenty books, most of which are represented in this collection. In 1980, he won the Governor Generals Award for Poetry for his bookMcAlmons Chinese Opera. In 1995, he was elected to the Royal Society of Canada.