Ontario author and poet Steven Heighton dies at age 60

Ontario author Steven Heighton, who brought a poet’s sensibility to global issues, has died.

The Kingston, Ont., writer was 60.

Biblioasis, which published some of his books, confirmed the news in a statement.

Heighton’s writing spanned from poetry to novels to non-fiction.

In 2016, his poetry collection “The Waking Comes Late” won the Governor General’s Literary Award.

Its publisher House of Anansi Press described the poems as a collection that challenges “the boundaries of sleep and even death.”

More recently, Heighton released “Reaching Mithymna: Among the Volunteers & Refugees On Lesvos,” a non-fiction work chronicling the arrival of Syrian refugees in Greece.

Dan Wells, publisher of Biblioasis, said Wednesday that news of Heighton’s death came as a surprise, though he knew the author was ill.

6:12 Author Steven Heighton on his new book ‘Reaching Mithymna’