Gwendolyn MacEwen

Gwendolyn Margaret MacEwen (Known as "Gwendolyn MacEwen")

Poet, Playwright, Author of The Shadow-Maker and The T. E. Lawrence Poems

Born Sep 01, 1941

Toronto, Canada

Passed Away Nov 16, 1987 Toronto, Canada

Lifespan 46 years old

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"I am an alchemist of shadow and light, seeking the secret gold buried in the clay of the world."

Archival Overview

Brilliant and enigmatic Toronto poet whose mythopoeic vision and linguistic virtuosity won two Governor General's Awards for The Shadow-Maker (1969) and Afterworlds (1987).

Biographical Record

Publishing her first poem at age seventeen, MacEwen was a self-taught prodigy who taught herself Arabic, Greek, and Hebrew, fascinated by ancient Egyptian mythology, alchemy, and Mediterranean antiquity. Her home in Toronto's Annex neighborhood became a hub of creative magic.

MacEwen published nine poetry collections, two novels, and acclaimed translations of Euripides, winning the Governor General's Award for The Shadow-Maker (1969) and posthumously for Afterworlds (1987). Her dramatic poetic cycle The T. E. Lawrence Poems remains a tour de force of psychological projection.

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Rest in Peace Forever remembered and cherished Your legacy lives on in all of us With deep gratitude for your life and light

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Final Resting Place

Perpetual Memorial

Mount Pleasant Cemetery
Toronto, Canada

                         GPS: 43.6967, -79.3886                    

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