George Ryga

George Ryga (27 July 1932 – 18 November 1987) was a Canadian playwright, actor and novelist. His writings explored the experiences of Indigenous peoples in Canada, among other themes. His most famous work is The Ecstasy of Rita Joe. A biography, The Ecstasy of Resistance, by James Hoffman, was published in 1995.

Since 2004, the George Ryga Award for Social Awareness in Literature has been presented to a British Columbian writer who has published a book with significant social themes. The 2021 recipient was Geoff Mynett.

A wall plaque to commemorate George Ryga was installed in the newly-opened Summerland Library in October of 2015. In 2016 the Ryga Arts Festival, inspired by George Ryga, was started in Summerland and so far has continued through 2021. In 2020, a George Ryga archive was established at the Summerland Museum.