Member of the Order of Canada

• Awarded on: May 11, 2018
• Invested on: March 14, 2019

Aritha van Herk, C.M., A.O.E.
Calgary, Alberta

Aritha van Herk has been a strong voice of Canadian literature at home and abroad for over 30 years. As a novelist, essayist, cultural commentator and editor, she has challenged the conventional notions of gender, genre and geography. She is credited with changing our perceptions of western Canada and raising public awareness of its unique stories and characteristics. A professor at the University of Calgary, she is recognized as a passionate teacher and mentor to new generations of Canadian writers.