Bill Bissett (born William Frederick Bissett) was born on November 23, 1939, in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

He is a Canadian poet, artist, musician, and publisher, known for his unconventional style. He had a tumultuous childhood, often ran away from home, and developed peritonitis, resulting in years of hospitalizations. He also experienced bullying because of his sexuality. He attended Dalhousie University (1956) and the University of British Columbia (1963-1965). He founded blewointment press in British Columbia (1962) as a medium for young poets and published several of his own volumes under its imprint. In 1965, a CBC filmed a documentary about Bissett’s poetry and art, entitled “Strange Grey Day This.” In 1983, financial hardship, plus a desire to focus on his own writing and visual art, led him to sell blewointment press (which later became Nightwood Editions). Bissett is the author of several books of poetry including, “Fires in the Temple” (1966), “Nobody Owns the Earth” (1972), “Medicine My Mouths on Fire” (1974), “Canada Gees [sic] Mate for Life” (1985), and “Inkorrect thots” [sic] (1992). He has had several one-man art exhibits in Vancouver, Toronto, and London (Ont.). From 1986 to 1991, Bissett was the lyricist and vocalist in the London, Ontario band Luddites, releasing audio tape cassettes and discs including, “Luddites” (1988), “Shining spirit” (1989), and “Luddites dreemin uv th nite” [sic] (1991). In 2007, Bissett was awarded the George Woodcock Lifetime Achievement Award for outstanding contributions to literature in British Columbia. In 2008, he received an Honorary Doctorate in Literature from Thompson Rivers University. In 2019, Talonbooks published an anthology of poems from nearly every previously published Bissett's book, entitled "breth." Bissett is now based in Mattawa, Ontario and Toronto.

James Bissett was born in 1830 in Lachine, Quebec and died in 1904. He was the son of Alexander Bissett and Jane Bissett (her maiden name is unknown). Bissett was a carpenter in 1827 and became Superintendent of the Lachine Canal from 1843 to 1868. He spent eight years as a mercantile trader before joining the Hudson’s Bay Company as an Accountant at the Lachine Depot in 1854. He also served as Officer-in-Charge for the Hudson’s Bay Company post in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1859 and 1860, as Chief Trader in Victoria and Esquimalt (British Columbia) between 1860 and 1871, and as Chief Factor in Montreal from 1872 to 1880.

Born in Naples, composer Cesare Bixio became one of Italy’s most popular songwriters during the 1930s, 40s and 50s. He composed his first song, “Suonno e Fantasia,” at the age of 13. Some of his best-known compositions are “Mamma,” “Vivere,” “Parlami d'amore,” “Mariù,” and “La mia canzone al vento.” In 1920 he founded the first Italian music publishing house in Milan, Bixio Publishing Group. The company specialized particularly in soundtracks for films at a time when talking films were replacing silent ones. Bixio composed the music for the first Italian sound film, “La Canzone dell’Amore,” in 1930. He became one of Italy’s most respected soundtrack composers.

A French composer of the Romantic era, Bizet is best known for Carmen, one of the most often performed and popular works in the opera repertoire. His realistic approach influenced the verismo school of opera.

A brilliant student at the Conservatoire, Bizet won many prizes including the Prix de Rome which brought with it a five-year state pension and two years to be spent at the French Academy in Rome.

When his Rome grant expired, Bizet discovered that Parisian opera theatres preferred the established classical repertoire. His keyboard and orchestral compositions were also ignored and he was unable to make a living from writing music and resorted to teaching and arranging and transcribing others’ work.

His Symphony in C Major of 1855 was lost and not discovered until 1935 but compares favourably to works written by Mozart and Mendelssohn at the same age. After his death, except for Carmen, his work was largely neglected. After its premiere in March of 1875 Bizet was convinced it was a failure and died suddenly a few months later.

Bizet’s output was considerable but very few of his compositions - opera, orchestral works and songs and works for piano - were performed. His manuscripts were given away or lost, and published versions of his works were frequently revised and adapted. After long being neglected, his work began to be performed in the 20th century and he was acclaimed as a brilliant composer and his death a loss to French musical theatre.