Mr. Speaker, Canadians mourn the passing of master writer, scholar, leading playwright and critic Robertson Davies who was instrumental in establishing Canadian literature at home and abroad.
His writings and teachings, particularly as Master of Massey College, had a profound impact on Canadian writers. A finalist for the Booker Prize in 1986 and recipient of the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1992, Robertson Davies was a recipient of the Governor General's Literary Award in 1972 and the Molson Prize in 1988.
His works contain a world of the imagination that mingles passion, magic, fate, lust and humour. His astonishing erudition made him an outstanding ambassador of Canadian letters.
A modest man with a gentle wit, when asked for a self-description he proclaimed: "I may not be the world's foremost swan, but I am not a duck". He leaves us, nevertheless, with a remarkable swan like legacy. He will continue to be an icon for future generations.