Gillian Wigmore was raised 60 acres (242,811.6 m²) outside of Vanderhoof, British Columbia

British Columbia

British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...

 http://www.creekstonepress.com/hwimyabout.html. Her mother, an English teacher, and her library of contemporary Canadian poets helped her develop her poetry in the eco-poetry genre.http://www.creekstonepress.com/hwimyabout.html As a vet and a father of four children, her father often took her on outcalls to farms, where she developed her passion for nature and its many intricacies.http://www.creekstonepress.com/hwimyabout.html She improved her skills in the writing program at the University of Victoria

University of Victoria

The University of Victoria, often referred to as UVic, is the second oldest public research university in British Columbia, Canada. It is a research intensive university located in Saanich and Oak Bay, about northeast of downtown Victoria. The University's annual enrollment is about 20,000 students...

 and graduated in 1999 with a double major in Writing and in English. http://www.greenboathouse.com/archive/gillian_wigmore.htm

Wigmore published her first chapbook

Chapbook

A chapbook is a pocket-sized booklet. The term chap-book was formalized by bibliophiles of the 19th century, as a variety of ephemera , popular or folk literature. It includes many kinds of printed material such as pamphlets, political and religious tracts, nursery rhymes, poetry, folk tales,...

, home when it moves you in 2005, followed by her first book of poetry, Soft Geography in 2007. Some of her success can be attributed to the poetics of Derk Wynard, who taught her to notice every detail and to take writing seriously http://www.creekstonepress.com/hwimyabout.html. Wigmore was a finalist for the 2008 Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize

Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize

The Dorothy Livesay Poetry Prize, established in 1986, is awarded annually to the best collection of poetry by a resident of British Columbia, Canada.One of the B.C. Book Prizes, the award was originally known as the B.C. Prize for Poetry...

 and won the 2008 ReLit Poetry Award. http://www.caitlin-press.com/what.html

She currently lives in Prince George, British Columbia

Prince George, British Columbia

Prince George, with a population of 71,030 , is the largest city in northern British Columbia, Canada, and is known as "BC's Northern Capital"...

with her two young children .http://www.whitehorsepoetry.com/poets.html

Wigmore and the Environment

As a child, Wigmore spent time with animals her veterinarian father treated, and in effect dedicated many poems to her experiences with these animals. Instead of manicured or censored language, she creates raw and lively descriptions of barn smells, sensations of cow calves she held and the sight of her father treating these animals.

Soft Geography has been described as a “detailed poetic map and guide to life in Northern British Columbia”. http://www.whitehorsepoetry.com/poets.html She writes about the landscape, flora and fauna, climate and attitudes of the people who inhabit the area http://www.whitehorsepoetry.com/poets.html, focussing on her experiences in its midst. Her descriptions show attention to natural details and her passion for the environment. She identifies native plant species of British Columbia by name. She compares natural processes in the wild to events in society and to the mannerisms of Northern British Columbians. Wigmore draws attention to the fragility of the natural world and its many ecosystems with examples of how it has been altered by humans. She speaks of the contrasts between the natural and the unnatural, emphasizing the power of the natural world over human creations and society.

Works

• 2005 home when it moves you
• 2007 Soft Geography
• Published in CV2, filling station, the Inner Harbour Review, Geist Magazine and other Canadian publications.