About the Author
Barbara Colebrook Peace, Poet
Barbara Colebrook Peace is the author of two poetry books: Duet for Wings and Earth (Sono Nis Press, 2008), which won an award from The Word Guild in 2009, and Kyrie (Sono Nis Press, 2001.) She also co-edited, with Linda Rogers, P.K. Page: Essays on Her Works (Guernica Editions, 2001.)
Born in Yorkshire, England, Barbara Colebrook Peace grew up in Northumberland, not far from the border of Scotland. She loved classical literature from an early age, and especially classical poetry, taking her first degree in Honours Classics at the University of Manchester. On being awarded a fellowship at the University of Victoria, B.C., she enjoyed the adventure of coming to Canada and studying for a master’s degree, writing her master’s thesis on Aeschylean drama. Subsequently, she married a Canadian, scientist Terry Peace, and they settled in Victoria. She worked for some years as an art gallery manager, and now focuses on her work as a poet, editor, and reviewer.
Awards
Barbara Colebook Peace’s book Duet for Wings and Earth was a joint winner of a Canadian national book award from The Word Guild, 2009, sharing this honour with poet D.S. Martin for his book Poiema.
Journals and Anthologies
Colebrook Peace’s work has been published in major literary journals such as Arc, The Antigonish Review, CV2, The Fiddlehead, The Malahat Review, Poetry Nottingham (U.K.), and The Windhorse Review.
Her work has also been published in the anthologies Vintage 93 (League of Canadian Poets), Threshold: Six Women, Six Poets (Sono Nis, 1998), Breaking the Surface (Sono Nis, 2000), and Mocambo Nights (Ekstasis, 2001.) Her poetry has also been displayed on buses, in the B.C. Poetry in Transit programme.
Readings
Barbara Colebrook Peace has read her poetry on CBC radio, and in settings as varied as cafe, cathedral, nursing home, city square, university and college, library, church, pub, city hall and garden party. She enjoys communicating with audiences of all kinds, and doesn't mind whether the audience is five people or five hundred. She especially enjoys taking part in benefit readings with a variety of poets’ voices.
One of the greatest joys of her life has been working alongside singers and musicians to present the annual Christmas concerts for charity, the “Walk to Bethlehem,” for which her recent book, Duet for Wings and Earth, was specially composed.
Reviewing
Barbara Colebrook Peace has reviewed books for Arc, The Fiddlehead and The Malahat Review, and contributed review essays to three of the Guernica Editions “writers series” of volumes on the work of major Canadian poets: Don McKay, Linda Rogers, and P.K. Page.
Editing
Barbara Colebrook Peace edits occasionally, on a freelance basis, and has edited half a dozen books of poetry, fiction, and non-fiction. She feels especially privileged to have co-edited, with Linda Rogers, a book of essays on one of her favourite poets, P.K. Page: Essays on Her Works (Guernica, 2001.)
Poetry Readings, Poetry Writing Workshops, Poetry and Music for Church Services and Concerts
Barbara Colebrook Peace is available and willing to travel in Canada, the U.S.A., and the U.K. :
- to give poetry readings
- to work with music directors or worship teams in putting together a church service or concert using poetry
- as a facilitator of poetry workshops for the general public, and groups such as seniors, students, or church groups.
