British born and raised in England, Canada, and the United States, Robert Allen is the author of a number of books of poetry and fiction, including Magellan's Clouds, The Indigo Hotel, Wintergarden, The Hawryliw Process, Blues & Ballads, A June Night in the Late Cenozoic, and Napoleon's Retreat. Robert Allen was the editor of Matrix and for many years served as the director of the Concordia creative writing program.