Scott Griffin
Encyclopedia
Scott Griffin is a Canadian businessman and philanthropist best known for founding the Griffin Poetry Prize
, one of the world's most generous poetry awards in 2000. Celebrating its tenth year in 2010, the Griffin Poetry Prize has become known as the most adventurous international literary award. Griffin was interviewed on CBC Radio, discussed the genesis of his love for poetry and read one of his favourites.
Griffin is the chairman, director and majority shareholder of two Canadian
manufacturing companies. General Kinetics Engineering Corporation (Brampton
, Ontario, Canada) designs and manufactures components for military and other tracked vehicles and high speed rail. Advance Precision Ltd. (Mississauga, Ontario, Canada) designs and manufactures parts for the automotive industry. Both companies have design and manufacturing facilities in the Greater Toronto Area
.
Griffin is also chairman, director and majority shareholder since 2002 of publisher House of Anansi Press
/Groundwood Books. He is also Chancellor of Bishop's University
, chairman of the Governors of Sedbergh School in Canada and a director of DGC Entertainment Ventures Corp.
Griffin is on several NGO boards, as a director of Canadian Executive Services Overseas (CESO), a volunteer advisor to CESO and a director of African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) Canada. In 2006, Griffin published a memoir entitled My Heart is Africa that recounted his two-year aviation adventure starting in 1996, working for the Flying Doctors Service in Africa. All royalties from the sale of the book are donated to the AMREF Flying Doctors Service. The book was named to the Globe and Mail top 100 for 2006.
Griffin is married to noted jewellery designer Krystyne Griffin and has four children and eight grandchildren.
Griffin Poetry Prize
The Griffin Poetry Prize is Canada's most generous poetry award. It was founded in 2000 by businessman and philanthropist Scott Griffin. The awards go to one Canadian and one international poet who writes in the English language....
, one of the world's most generous poetry awards in 2000. Celebrating its tenth year in 2010, the Griffin Poetry Prize has become known as the most adventurous international literary award. Griffin was interviewed on CBC Radio, discussed the genesis of his love for poetry and read one of his favourites.
Griffin is the chairman, director and majority shareholder of two Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
manufacturing companies. General Kinetics Engineering Corporation (Brampton
Brampton, Ontario
Brampton is the third-largest city in the Greater Toronto Area of Ontario, Canada and the seat of Peel Region. As of the 2006 census, Brampton's population stood at 433,806, making it the 11th largest city in Canada. It is also one of Canada's fastest growing municipalities, with an average...
, Ontario, Canada) designs and manufactures components for military and other tracked vehicles and high speed rail. Advance Precision Ltd. (Mississauga, Ontario, Canada) designs and manufactures parts for the automotive industry. Both companies have design and manufacturing facilities in the Greater Toronto Area
Greater Toronto Area
The Greater Toronto Area is the largest metropolitan area in Canada, with a 2006 census population of 5.5 million. The Greater Toronto Area is usually defined as the central city of Toronto, along with four regional municipalities surrounding it: Durham, Halton, Peel, and York...
.
Griffin is also chairman, director and majority shareholder since 2002 of publisher House of Anansi Press
House of Anansi Press
House of Anansi Press is a Canadian publishing company, founded in 1967 by writers Dennis Lee and Dave Godfrey. The company specializes in finding and developing new Canadian writers of literary fiction, poetry, and non-fiction....
/Groundwood Books. He is also Chancellor of Bishop's University
Bishop's University
Bishop's University is a predominantly undergraduate university in Lennoxville, Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Bishop's is one of three universities in the province of Quebec that teach primarily in the English language...
, chairman of the Governors of Sedbergh School in Canada and a director of DGC Entertainment Ventures Corp.
Griffin is on several NGO boards, as a director of Canadian Executive Services Overseas (CESO), a volunteer advisor to CESO and a director of African Medical and Research Foundation (AMREF) Canada. In 2006, Griffin published a memoir entitled My Heart is Africa that recounted his two-year aviation adventure starting in 1996, working for the Flying Doctors Service in Africa. All royalties from the sale of the book are donated to the AMREF Flying Doctors Service. The book was named to the Globe and Mail top 100 for 2006.
Griffin is married to noted jewellery designer Krystyne Griffin and has four children and eight grandchildren.
External links
- Griffin Poetry Prize Web site
- Thomas Allen Publishers page on My Heart is Africa
- House of Anansi Press page on My Heart is Africa
- BookShort videos on My Heart is Africa
- Poetry in Motion - A lucrative prize may train the public eye on the most ignored of arts, by John Bemrose (Macleans magazine, June, 2001)
- Scott Griffin discusses poetry, online from CBC Words at Large blog
- 'The big guys keep being surprised by us' (article about House of Anansi Press in The Globe and Mail, October, 2007)
- Al Purdy - A Permanent Tribute - Statue of Canada’s Favourite Poet Unveiled in Queen’s Park