Mr. Speaker, today I rise with sadness to recognize the passing on December 3 of a great Canadian, Mr. Matt Cohen, this year's winner of the Governor General's Literary Award for fiction.
Mr. Cohen was both an esteemed writer and a neighbour. He contributed significantly to the Canadian literary scene. It was in 1969, at the age of 26, that Mr. Cohen published his first novel, entitled Korsoniloff . From then, he was involved in 30 books, including novels, Quebecois translations, children's books, short story collections and books of poetry. It was for his novel, Elizabeth and After , that he recently received the Governor General's Literary Award for fiction.
Mr. Cohen pushed for the right for writers to be able to receive payment for the library use of their works. Mr. Cohen kept writing even through his illness. Therefore, even as we mourn his loss, we can anticipate a book of his short stories that will be published by Knopf Canada next spring; his last gift to Canadians.
On behalf of the people of Trinity—Spadina, I would like to offer our condolences to his wife Patsy and his family.