George Woodcock
George Woodcock (1912-1995) was a Canadian writer, scholar, and prominent anarchist known for his diverse contributions to literature and social activism. Born in Winnipeg to impoverished immigrant parents from London, he returned to England as a child and later rejected a scholarship to Oxford due to its clergy requirement. Instead, he worked as a clerk, where he encountered anarchism, which influenced his philosophical outlook throughout his life. Woodcock became well-known for his writing, particularly in travel literature, publishing over a hundred narratives and essays, and he held teaching positions at the University of Washington and the University of British Columbia, where he founded the influential journal *Canadian Literature*.
In addition to his literary achievements, Woodcock was a pacifist during World War II and later focused on humanitarian efforts, particularly regarding the Tibetan community. He established the Tibetan Refugee Aid Society and maintained friendships with notable figures, including the Dalai Lama. His acclaimed works include *The Crystal Spirit: A Study of George Orwell*, which won the Governor General's Award. Woodcock's legacy includes a commitment to supporting struggling writers and his principled refusal to accept many governmental honors, reflecting his values of independence and social justice.
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George Woodcock
Poet
- Born: May 8, 1912
- Birthplace: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada
- Died: January 28, 1995
- Place of death: Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Biography
George Woodcock’s parents emigrated from London to Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, shortly before his birth on May 8, 1912. His parents were always quite poor, and after failing to improve their lives in Canada, the Woodcocks took their family back to London while George was still a young child.
George Woodcock was an excellent student and as such was offered a partial scholarship to Oxford; however, he refused the opportunity because he was opposed to Oxford’s requirement that students join the clergy. Instead, he joined the workforce as a clerk for the Great Western Railway; and it was here that he first learned of anarchism. Throughout Woodcock’s life, he educated himself as he adopted the anarchist political philosophy and met important literary figures of the 1930’s such as Herbert Read, George Orwell, Julian Symons, and T.S. Eliot.
As a pacifist, Woodcock received an exemption during World War II. In 1949, he emigrated to Canada with his wife Ingeborge, where they barely survived as farmers. Woodcock’s Canadian friends came to his rescue and helped him get work writing for the CBC in Toronto and writing travel narratives. Woodcock’s travel narratives proved to be very successful, as he published over a hundred throughout his career.
Despite Woodcock’s lack of formal education and teaching credentials, but based on the respect for his writing, he was hired to teach at the University of Washington from 1954 to 1955. Then, as a result of his success there, he was offered a position at the University of British Columbia, Vancouver, where he became an associate professor. While at the university, Woodcock founded the journal Canadian Literature in 1959 and acted as its editor until 1977. This quarterly journal was significant in exhibiting and promoting the works of Canadian writers. In 1963, Woodcock left teaching at the University of British Columbia to concentrate on writing and editing. In 1966, he published The Crystal Spirit: A Study of George Orwell, which won the Governor General’s Award.
Ever concerned with the social aspect of life, per his anarchist philosophies, in the later years of his life Woodcock was very concerned about the Tibetans and their plight. He and his wife traveled to India, studied Buddhism, and became friends with the Dalai Lama. Consequently, they established the Tibetan Refugee Aid Society in an effort to help ease the Tibetan’s suffering. Also concerned for his fellow writers who struggle in poverty as he had, Woodcock established a fund for impoverished writers when he died on January 28, 1995.
Woodcock only accepted awards that were granted by his peers, and he refused several that were awarded by the Canadian government, with one exception. In 1994, one year before his death, Woodcock accepted the Freedom of the City of Vancouver Award. Some of the other awards he refused were: a fellowship from the Royal Society of Canada in 1968, the UBC Medal for Popular Biography in 1973, and the Molson Prize in 1973.
George Woodcock’s major achievements include his work as a poet, critic, historian, travel writer, playwright, scriptwriter, and as editor of Canadian Literature, reflecting his anarchist philosophy that revolutionary changes could take place in society without violence. Furthermore, one cannot overlook his contributions and efforts on behalf of the Tibetan Refugee Aid Society.