Today we mark the passing of Canadian poet, editor, and activist Roy Miki, CM OBC FRSC, who rose from a childhood of forced relocation and internment to become one of the nation's most decorated and beloved literary figures. Miki died earlier this week at the age of 81.
A prolific author, Miki published a half-dozen volumes of poetry and one essay collection, edited compilations by Muriel Kitagawa and Roy Kiyooka, and published critical volumes on William Carlos Williams, bpNichol, and George Bowering. His most influential book, however, was 2004's Redress: Inside the Japanese Canadian Call for Justice, which complemented his passionate activism to seek acknowledgment and retribution for the more than 20,000 Japanese-Canadian citizens that were sent to internment camps during WWII. This work was acknowledged with numerous honors including being made a Member of the Order of Canada, a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, and a Member of the Order of British Columbia, along with the Gandhi Peace Prize.
While we don't have a proper author page for Miki, you can find two readings from The Kootenay School of Writing on their series page, the first from 1992 and a 2002 launch reading for Miki's Governor General's Literary Award-winning collection Surrender in two parts. Miki can also be heard on our bpNichol author page in conversation with the Nichol, Bowering, and Sharon Thesen after a reading the poet gave at Simon Fraser University in 1983 at Miki's invitation. Miki is also responsible for several key recordings on our Nichol page.
We'll give the final word to Talonbooks, Miki's longtime publisher, who posted a tribute that concludes as follows: "His passing will be widely mourned and his presence sorely missed. Our condolences to all who knew him, loved him, and were enriched by his words, wisdom, and activism."
