Murdoch Burnett

Who is Murdoch Burnett?

Murdoch Maclean Burnett is a Canadian poet, performance artist, editor, and community activist.

Born and raised in Calgary, Alberta, Murdoch Burnett was the seventh of eleven children born to Pat and Jim Burnett. He began writing poetry in the summer of 1971 at the age of seventeen. He left formal education behind at that point and embarked on what he has described as a journey of self-discovery and lifelong learning. He has taught and been a guest lecturer at the Alberta College of Art and Design, Mount Royal University and the University of Calgary.

In 1975, he met a local bookseller who would later become a book publisher, George Parry. Parry owned and operated a series of bookstores in Calgary including Laughing Rooster Books, Wild Turkey Books, and City Limits. Later he owned and operated a small publishing/distribution house, Westlands Book Express Ltd, which was eventually located in Cochrane, Alberta. Several of Burnett's books would be published by Westlands Book Express, but volumes were also published by Whickey Jack Publishing, Garlic Press, City Limits Communications, Penny Dreadfuls and BookThug.