At the time of his death in 1992, Jon Furberg was one of the most disciplined and exciting poets writing in Vancouver. Ten years in the making, Anhaga was Furberg's masterly crafted retelling of the Anglo-Saxon poem "The Wanderer." Reading into the old text with courage and imagination, letting individual lines and words resonate and build associations, listening for the cadences of the ancient bards who were the original carriers of the poem, he allows a new work to emerge. The result is a contemporary Wanderer--that lost, doomed, desperate soul who is perhaps the first truly individualized--that is, alienated--figure in English literature. Furberg was a poet of spectacular skill, a poet who could embrace ancient texts and reinvent them with creative vigour while remaining true to their original voice.

First published in 1983, this new edition features an introduction by Stephen Osborne, editor-in-chief of Geist magazine.

Along with Dorothy Livesay's Governor General's Award winning Day and Night, this book is one of two books of poetry that is being brought back into print to celebrate Vancouver's 125th Birthday. It will be launched and promoted by friends and admirers of Furberg's in a number of events and celebrations on the West Coast.

Published by Smoking Lung Press

Jon Furberg's passion for literature touched the world of publishing, teaching and, of course, poetry. He was a co-founder of Pulp Press (later to be reborn as Arsenal Pulp Press) a beloved teacher, and the author of three books of poetry. Jon Furberg died in 1992.

Jon Furberg's profile page

Stephen Osborne was born in Pangnirtung in 1947. In 2004 he was a recipient of the CBC Literary Award, the Vancouver Arts Award for Writing and Publishing, and the National Magazine Foundation Special Achievement Award. He won the first Event Creative Non-fiction Prize, and is an award-winning columnist for Geist magazine, where many of the pieces in Ice & Fire got their start. He is the founder of Arsenal Pulp Press and editor and founder of Geist magazine. His work has appeared in numerous periodicals, and the title story in his collection was translated into Inuktitut and appeared in Inuktitut magazine.

Stephen Osborne's profile page

Poetic news these days is to be found in Canadian poetry. One of its sharpest, finest voices is Furberg's. It's time to follow every move he makes, talk about it, review it, use it. -Robin Blaser, Recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Griffin Trust for Excellence in Poetry

With this reissue of Anhaga, Jon Furberg will be introduced to a new generation of poets. He is among our finest writers and should be remembered as such. -Brad Cran, Poet Laureate, City of Vancouver