Dennis Lee

Dennis Lee was born on August 31, 1939, in Toronto, Ontario. His collection Civil Elegies and Other Poems was awarded the 1972 Governor General's Award, one of Canada's highest literary honors, but Lee continues to be best known for his collections of cleverly-rhymed children's verse. Wiggle to the Laundromat (1970) was written for his daughters, and like much of his writing, drew upon his experiences as a parent. His other books of poems for children include Alligator Pie (1974), one of the best-selling Canadian children's books of all time; Nicholas Knock and Other People (1974); Garbage Delight (1977); and Jelly Belly (1983). In much of his work, he uses Canadian place-names, local cultural idiosyncrasies, and environmental issues to try to communicate a sense of national identity, but his poems have proven popular among English-speaking audiences all over the world.