Allan Cooper

1954-

Allan John Cooper (poet, publisher, and musician) was born 15 March 1954 in Moncton, New Brunswick. After attending elementary and junior high school in Riverview, Cooper went to Moncton High School so he could enroll in the school’s music program. At Moncton High, it was English teacher Joan McNutt’s belief that he could be a good poet that started Cooper in the pursuit of being a serious writer. His musical skills helped finance his education at Mount Allison University in Sackville, where his bands played jazz, rock, and country at various venues. At Mount Allison, he earned a B.A. in English and Sociology, with concentrations in Music and Religious Studies.  In 1978 he moved to Alma and wrote his first book of poems, Blood Lines (1979).  Volumes by Cooper include Heaven of Small Moments (1998), which was a finalist for the Tilden/CBC Canadian Literary Award; To An Unborn Child (1988), which was awarded the Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick’s Honorary President’s Prize; and Gabriel’s Wing (2004).  In 1982 Cooper took over the poetry magazine Germination. Between 1982 and 1990, Cooper published 15 issues of Germination. In 1986, Cooper started Owl’s Head Press, a poetry-publishing imprint in Alma, NB. In 2000, Owl’s Head released The Music of Memory, a book of poetry by Cooper’s mother, Muriel.  In April 1983, at the Writers’ Federation of New Brunswick’s first annual meeting, Cooper was elected president, serving with Honorary President Alfred Bailey. Cooper was also a participating author at the annual Frye Literary Festival in Moncton in 2000, 2001, and 2004. Since February 2006, he has published an internet web log, “Allan Cooper’s Blog,” at allan-cooper.blogspot.com. Cooper is the twice recipient of the Alfred G. Bailey Award for Poetry (1987 and 1992). He has also won the Peter Gzowski Award (1994) and been shortlisted three times for CBC Literary Awards.

Predominant New Brunswick Residences:

Alma, Moncton

Archival Material

• Allan Cooper fonds
  ⌄
  Location

  Dalhouse University Archives

  Website/Catalogue Record

  View Archival Record

  Retrieval Number

  MS-2-692

  Date Range of Material

  1974-1993

  Extent

  11 cm of textual records

  2 photographs ; b&w : 18 x 12.5 cm and smaller; 6 volumes

  Scope and Content Note

  Fonds consists of correspondence, financial papers, and grant applications for the journal Germination, papers from the Tribune Press (Sackville, New Brunswick) relating to Owl's Head Press, and publications and pamphlets.