Patrick Woodcock
BIO
Biography

Patrick Woodcock is the author of 10 books of poetry and countless reviews.  His work has been translated and published in 14 languages.  Since travel is so essential to his work, Mr. Woodcock has lived and worked in such diverse countries as Iceland, Poland, Russia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, The Sultanate of Oman, Saudi Arabia, Colombia, The Kurdish North of Iraq and Azerbaijan.  Within Canada he has travelled from the West to East coasts, as well as working as a volunteer for almost a year with the elders of Fort Good Hope, NT – 20km south of the Arctic Circle. 

His seventh book Always Die Before Your Mother was shortlisted for Canada’s ReLit award in 2010 and reached the number one spot on the Globe and Mail’s bestseller list.  His 8th book Echo Gods and Silent Mountains was extremely well reviewed all over the world and was called “…the most beautiful, deep and touching collection of poetry written on Kurds by a non-Kurd.” by the Kurdish media network, Rudaw.   He has read at International poetry festival’s in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Slovenia, the Kurdish North of Iraq, Azerbaijan, England, The Republic of Georgia, Tanzania, Kenya and Canada’s Winnipeg International Writers Festival.  

While living in Colombia he read at the Ibague Poetry Festival, The XVIII Medellin International Poetry Festival and was the first poet from outside of Latin America to ever read at the Bogota Poetry Festival.  Patrick’s ninth book of poetry You can’t bury them all which is set in the Kurdish North of Iraq, Fort Good Hope, NT Canada and Azerbaijan was published by ECW Press in 2016.  You can’t bury them all won the Alcuin Society Book Design Award for Poetry and was shortlisted for the JM Abraham Poetry Award in 2017.  After living for two years in Tanzania as a volunteer at Baraa Primary School, Arusha, Patrick moved to the hamlet of Paulatuk in the Inuvik region of the Northwest Territories to work while completing his new manuscript Farhang Book I which will be published by ECW Press, Toronto, Canada, September 5th 2023.

The album “Bill Pritchard Sings Poems By Patrick Woodcock”  was released by Tapete records May 5th, 2023. The album contains 11 songs, 2 read by the author, all taken from Farhang Book I. He now lives in Iqaluit, Nunavut where he is the Literacy and Project Coordinator for United for Literacy. He is currently completing Farhang Book II. Because his work can never escape the politics of where he resides, he is also a member of PEN Canada.

ADDRESS
City: Iqaluit, Province/Territory: Nunavut
EMAIL
LANGUAGES
English
PUBLICATIONS
Publications
Title
Farhang Book I
Publisher
ECW Press
Year
2023
Title
You can't bury them all
Publisher
ECW Press
Year
2016
Title
Echo Gods and Silent Mountains
Publisher
ECW Press
Year
2012
Title
Always die before your mother
Publisher
ECW Press
Year
2009
AWARDS
Awards
Name
JM Abraham Poetry Award – shortlisted –
Publication
You can't bury them all
Year
2017
Name
Alcuin Society Award for Poetry (First Prize)
Publication
You can't bury them all
Year
2017
Name
ReLit Award – shortlisted for poetry –
Publication
Always die before your mother
Year
2010
Programs & Interests
Interested in participating Union’s Ontario Writers-in-the-Schools program:
All members are eligible for the Union’s Ontario Writers-in-the-Schools program. Are you interested in participating in this pro
No
Interested in participating in the Northern Ontario WITS program:
The Union’s Northern Ontario Writers-in-the-Schools program funds in-person visits to northern Ontario schools when possible. Ar
No