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I've sort of been
fretting a week

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over writing this introduction.

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My biggest problem
was that every time I

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would sit down and
try and take notes,

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I kept on writing the same
sentence or the variation

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of the same sentence,
which was the first time I

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read Robin Robertson's poetry.

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And I realized, an
introduction of a poetry

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should be about the poet, not
necessarily about the reader.

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But Robin Robertson's
poetry is so rich, lyrical,

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and inclusive, that it
is often hard to separate

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the poet from the reader,
and more particularly,

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the experience of reading
one of his poems from one's

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own lived experience.

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Robin Robertson has been
compared to a still life

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painter, to a photographer,
and although these

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are suitable metaphors,
they are not a perfect match

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to his art form.

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The first time I read
Robert Robertson's poetry,

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I felt as though I'd been
taken into my own memory.

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Even though, I had
never experienced

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the events he was describing.

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In a haiku from Slow Air, which
I won't quote, because I can't

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do it without giving
away the ending,

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Robertson describes
a competition

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between two painters who
try to see which one can

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paint the most realistic image.

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One painter paints
a bunch of grapes.

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So true to life that
birds peck at them.

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If we were to use the metaphor
of a still life painter

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to describe the poetry of Robin
Robertson, it would begin here.

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Robertson's first
book, A Painted Field,

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won the 1997 Poetry Prize,
sorry, the 1997 Ford Prize

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for Best First Collection
and the Scottish First

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Book of the Year Award.

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Slow Air was published
this past spring.

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And his anthology,
Mortification,

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is just hitting the
bookshelves now.

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In this anthology of
over 80 entries, writers

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from around the world
sharing their experiences

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of public shame
regarding teaching,

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going to literary parties,
literary festivals,

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literary readings, I think,
this one's going OK, so far.

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It also covers being reviewed,
doing book reviews, book

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signings, and if you have a
copy of Mortification with you,

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and you want to
have him sign it,

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you can talk about
the irony in that.

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And finally, to the world
of television and radio,

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which allows so many
more people to share

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in the shame of being a writer.

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Robin Robertson has also
made numerous contributions

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to the poetry
community, particularly,

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as the editor of Cape
Poetry, one of Europe's most

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prestigious publishers who
publish poets such as Michael

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Longley and Matthew Sweeney.

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Also a little known
fact that, as a poet,

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Robin Robertson is somewhat
of an honorary Canadian.

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Canada being the country
famous for maple syrup,

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same-sex marriage, and
decriminalized marijuana,

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as well as its own
poetry community.

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Robin Robinson graduated
from the University

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of Windsor in Ontario
where he studied

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under the great Canadian short
story writer, Alistair MacLeod.

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In 2000, along with Margaret
Atwood, Michael Ondaatje,

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Robert Hass, and David
Young, Robin Robertson

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became a trustee for the
Canadian-based Griffin Poetry

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Prize, which recognizes
excellence in poetry

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among Canadian and
international books of poetry.

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Past short list poets include
Alice Notley, CD Wright,

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Les Murray, Fanny Howe, and last
year's recipient, Paul Muldoon,

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as well as Canadian poets such
as Karen Solie, Anne Carson,

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Don McKay, and Dionne Brand.

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From all aspects of
Robin Robertson's career,

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we can see a strong
dedication to poetry.

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Whether it is as the editor
of Cape Poetry, as editor

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of various anthologies, as a
trustee of the Griffin Prize,

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or tonight, more importantly,
through his own poems,

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which are also a major gift
and contribution to the art

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and craft and vibrancy
of contemporary poetry.

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Please join me in
welcoming Robin Robertson.

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[CROWD APPPLAUDS]

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