David Suzuki’s George Woodcock Award Acceptance Speech (excerpt)

David Suzuki. Photo by Mr. Fink.

This is a Books on the Radio special excerpt.

The following audio is an edited version of a speech delivered by David Suzuki on February 3rd at the Fairmont Hotel Vancouver.

Mr Suzuki had just received the George Woodcock Lifetime Achievement Award for outstanding literary achievement in British Columbia from Margaret Atwood.

It’s an interesting and passionate speech that made more than a few of the people in attendance uncomfortable. Especially toward the end when he started saying the names.

It seems to me that this is good.  This is why we award our writers for their work. Because they can make us uncomfortable, make us think about our actions, maybe even help us to break free of our individual inertia, habits and prejudice.

Congratulations to David Suzuki on the award and the Writers’ Trust for taking the opportunity to hold an event outside of Toronto for the first time in 25 years.

Please feel free to comment on what you hear. I hope that you enjoy the speech.

Listen to David Suzuki Accept the George Woodcock Lifetime Achievement Award from Margaret Atwood.