As a writing professor at the University of Victoria, Sward influenced younger poets such as Richard Stevenson and became involved in the literary circle that centred upon Sono Nis Press and Robin Skelton in the 1970s. He published several times from B.C. presses during his stint in the province. Sward began writing while serving in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War. By 2004 he had written 24 books, most notably Heavenly Sex, many of which are influenced by his appreciation of Zen philosophy. He has also taught at Cornell University, the Iowa Writers' Workshop, and the University of Santa Cruz. He is author of The Collected Poems of Robert Sward 1957-2004 (Black Moss Press, 2004).

[BCBW 2004] "Poetry"