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~ Jeff Seffinga ~

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Jeff Seffinga was born in the Netherlands and came to Canada with his family in 1951. They settled in Eastern Ontario where he grew up and went to school.

He began writing in his early years and focused on expressing himself through poetry after obtaining a degree in English Language and Literature. Some of his early serious work was anthologized in 1971. His first solo collection came out in 1981, followed over the years by eight more titles with various publishers, including Black Moss and Mekler&Deahl, as well as several smaller pieces. But even while writing, he spent much time and effort into helping other writers and poets.

He was an integral part of Herb Barrett's Hamilton Haiku Workshop and its role as part of the Canadian Poetry Association. He chaired the Literary Committee of the local Arts Council and served on its board. He was one of the founding members of the Hamilton Poetry Centre and established the literary salon known as Lit Chat. With Bill Powell of Creative Arts he published a yearly collection of local poetry known as the TOP 40 anthologies. Through his own press, he helped several young poets get a start. Along the way his work has won awards both great and small, including the grain Prose Poem in 1996.

In 2007 he published his collection, IN TIMES OF CHANGING SEASONS, won a "Cat Lit" prize from The Pride Rescue and Mini Mocho Press, and was awarded the 2007 City of Hamilton Arts Award - Literature.

He remains active in literary circles. He served as editor-in-chief of TOWER POETRY, a semi-annual magazine, for ten years and was the editor for Serengeti Press. He is the coordinator of the Acorn-Plantos Award for people's poetry. He continues to write, submitting poems to local and national journals and anthologies. His most recent volume of new poems, ALL WE LIKE CATS, was published in December, 2010.

Memberships:
- The Ontario Poetry Society

Contact information:
Jeff Seffinga

Email: Jeff