Erin Mouré

Her mother Mary Irene was born 1924 in what is today western Ukraine, and emigrated to Canada in 1929.[1] Her father is William Mouré, born in Ottawa, Ontario in 1925 and a great-grandson of the painter George Théodore Berthon. Erín Mouré is the oldest of three, having two younger brothers, Ken and Bill.[2]

In 1975 Mouré moved to Vancouver, British Columbia, where she took her second year classes at University of British Columbia in philosophy.[3] After only taking one year of classes she left University of British Columbia and got a job at Via Rail Canada where she continued to write poetry. This is where she learned French.[3] She learned Galician language in the early 21st century in order to translate the poetry of Chus Pato.[4]

She still lives in Montreal, Canada.[3]

According to an interview conducted in the early 1990s, Mouré has four major influences which led her to become a writer, other than the work of other writers or poets: "Landscape of cars, her mother going to work, her mother teaching her to read, and in a small way losing her sense of touch".[5]

Of her more recent work, Melissa Jacques wrote, "Erin Mouré's poetry is fragmented, meta-critical and explicitly deconstructive. Folding everyday events and ordinary people into complex and often irresolvable philosophical dilemmas, Mouré challenges the standards of accessibility and common sense. Not surprisingly, her work has met with a mixed response. Critics are often troubled by the difficult and therefore alienating nature of the writing; even amongst Mouré's advocates, the issues of accessibility and political efficacy are recurrent themes."

Mouré has been nominated for, and has won, many writing awards for her writing and her translation. These include the Pat Lowther Memorial Award, Governor General's Award for poetry, A.M.Klein Prize for Poetry.

Her newest poetry book, The Elements, is slated for publication in 2019.[6]

• 1988 Governor General's Awards for Poetry for the volume Furious.
• 2014 Best Translated Book Award, poetry, shortlist for White Piano by Nicole Brossard, from the French[7]
• Griffin Poetry Prize biography[8]
• 2017 Harvard University 2017 WPR Creative fellowship, RESONANCE: A MODERNISM with Erin Moure[9]

• Empire, York Street, Toronto: House of Anansi Press, 1979 (nominated for a Governor General's Award)
• The Whisky Vigil, Madeira Park, BC: Harbour Publishing, 1981
• Wanted Alive, Toronto: House of Anansi Press, 1983
• Domestic Fuel, Toronto: House of Anansi Press, 1985 (winner of the Pat Lowther Award)
• Furious, Toronto: House of Anansi Press, 1988 (winner of the 1988 Governor General's Award for poetry)
• WSW, Montreal: Véhicule Press, 1989 (winner of the A. M. Klein Prize for Poetry
• Sheepish Beauty, Civilian Love, Montreal: Véhicule Press, 1992
• The Green Word: Selected Poems: 1973–1992, Toronto: Oxford University Press, 1994
• Search Procedures, Toronto: House of Anansi Press, 1996 (nominated for a Governor General's Award)
• A Frame of the Book, Toronto: House of Anansi Press, 1999
• Pillage Laud, Montreal: Moveable Type Books, 1999
• O Cidadán, Toronto: House of Anansi Press, 2002 (nominated for a Governor General's Award)
• Little Theatres, Toronto: House of Anansi Press, 2005 (winner of the A. M. Klein Prize for Poetry, nominated for a Governor General's Award, nominated for the Pat Lowther Award, shortlisted for the 2006 Canadian Griffin Poetry Prize)
• O Cadoiro, Toronto: House of Anansi Press, 2007
• Expeditions of a Chimæra (collaboration with Oana Avasilichioaei), Toronto: Book*hug Press, 2009 (shortlisted for the 2011 A. M. Klein Prize for Poetry)
• O Resplandor, Toronto: House of Anansi Press, 2010 (shortlisted for the 2011 A. M. Klein Prize for Poetry)
• The Unmemntioable, Toronto: House of Anansi Press, 2012
• Insecession a dual book with Chus Pato's Secession, Toronto: Book*hug Press, 2014
• Kapusta, Toronto: House of Anansi Press, 2015
• Sitting Shiva on Minto Avenue, by Toots, Vancouver: New Star Books, 2017
• The Elements, Toronto: House of Anansi Press, 2019

• Installations – 2000, translation with Robert Majzels from French of Nicole Brossard's Installations
• Sheep's Vigil by a Fervent Person translation from Portuguese of Fernando Pessoa / Alberto Caeiro's O Guardador de Rebanhos- 2001 (shortlisted for the 2002 Canadian Griffin Poetry Prize)
• Museum of Bone and Water – 2003, translation with Robert Majzels from French of Nicole Brossard's Musée de l'os et de l'eau
• Notebook of Roses and Civilization – 2007, translation with Robert Majzels from French of Nicole Brossard's Cahier de roses & de civilisation (nominated for a Governor General's Award; shortlisted for the 2008 Canadian Griffin Poetry Prize)
• Charenton – 2007, translation from Galician of Chus Pato's Charenton
• Quase Flanders, Quase Extremadura – 2008, translation from Spanish of excerpts from the poetry of Andrés Ajens
• m-Talá – 2009, translation from Galician of Chus Pato's m-Talá
• Hordes of Writing – 2011, translation from Galician of Chus Pato's Hordas de escritura
• Just Like Her – 2011, translation from French of Louise Dupré's Tout come elle
• White Piano – 2013, translation with Robert Majzels from French of Nicole Brossard's Piano blanc
• Galician Songs – 2013, translation from Galician of Rosalia de Castro's Cantares Gallegos
• Secession – 2014, translation from Galician of Chus Pato's Secesión
• Flesh of Leviathan – 2016, translation from Galician of Chus Pato's Carne de Leviatán
• New Leaves – 2016, translation from Galician of Rosalia de Castro's Follas Novas
• My Dinosaur – 2016, translation from French of François Turcot's Mon dinosaure

• Two Women Talking: Correspondence 1985–1987 – 1994 (with Bronwen Wallace)
• My Beloved Wager essays – 2009

• Canadian literature
• Canadian poetry
• List of Canadian poets