Former Poet Laureate Celebrated PEI's Heritage

FRANK LEDWELL, 78
FORMER POET LAUREATE CELEBRATED PEI'S HERITAGE
Writer, teacher and former Prince Edward Island poet laureate Frank Ledwell died Aug. 14, 2008, in Charlottetown. He was 78. A lyric and descriptive writer and storyteller, he celebrated the island's landscape and heritage in poetry and prose. His books include The Taste of Water, Island Sketchbook, The North Shore of Home and Dip & Veer. He was also the founder and editor of the journal Katharsis from 1967 to 1971. Recently, he had ventured into performance, launching a CD of spoken-word poetry, Being Islanders, in 2001. In 1985, he became the first recipient of the Outstanding Contribution to the Literary Arts on PEI. He was also appointed provincial poet laureate in 2004 for a three-year term. "His energy, enthusiasm and leadership have been an inspiration to the writers of the province, both young and old," Elmer MacFadyen, minister of community and cultural affairs, said of Mr. Ledwell in 2006.

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