Griffin Poetry Prize
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The Griffin Poetry Prize is Canada's most generous poetry award. It was founded in 2000 by businessman and philanthropist Scott Griffin. The awards go to one Canadian and one international poet who writes in the English language. Each winner receives CAD$50,000.
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[edit] History
In April 2000, Scott Griffin started the Griffin Trust to raise public awareness of the crucial role poetry plays in society's cultural life. Griffin served as its Chairman, with Trustees Margaret Atwood, Robert Hass, Michael Ondaatje, Robin Robertson and David Young. In June 2004, Carolyn Forché joined the board of Trustees.
The Trust created the Griffin Poetry Prize with the aim of helping to introduce contemporary collections of poetry to the public's imagination. Originally, the award was two annual prizes of CAD$40,000 each, for collections of poetry published in English during the preceding year. One prize for a living Canadian poet, the other to a living poet from any other country, which could include Canada. Qualified judges are selected annually by the Trustees. The prize shortlists are announced in April (National Poetry Month) every year. The shortlisted poets gather for an evening of public readings every May/June, and the winners are announced and all of the poets are feted the following evening.
In April 2005, Scott Griffin increased the amount of the prize for each of the two winners to CAD$50,000.
Eligible collections of poetry must have been published between January 1 and December 31 of the prior year. Submission must come from the publishers only.
[edit] Finalists
Winners are listed first and highlighted with bold.
[edit] 2001
Canada:
- Anne Carson, Men in the Off Hours
- Robert Bringhurst, Nine Visits to the Mythworld
- Don McKay, Another Gravity
International:
- Nikolai Popov and Heather McHugh, translation of Glottal Stop: 101 Poems by Paul Celan
- Chana Bloch and Chana Kronfeld, translation of Open Closed Open by Yehuda Amichai
- Fanny Howe, Selected Poems
- Les Murray, Learning Human
Judges:
[edit] 2002
Canada:
- Christian Bök, Eunoia
- Erin Mouré, Sheep's Vigil by a Fervent Person
- Karen Solie, Short Haul Engine
International:
- Alice Notley, Disobedience
- Victor Hernández Cruz, Maraca
- Christopher Logue, Homer: War Music
- Les Murray, Conscious and Verbal
Judges:
[edit] 2003
Canada:
- Margaret Avison, Concrete and Wild Carrot
- Dionne Brand, thirsty
- P.K. Page, Planet Earth: Poems Selected and New
International:
- Paul Muldoon, Moy sand and gravel
- Kathleen Jamie, Mr And Mrs Scotland are Dead: Poems 1980-1994
- Gerald Stern, American Sonnets: poems
- C. D. Wright, Steal Away: selected and new poems
Judges:
[edit] 2004
Canada:
- Anne Simpson, Loop
- Di Brandt, Now You Care
- Leslie Greentree, Go-go Dancing for Elvis
International:
- August Kleinzahler, The Strange Hours Travelers Keep
- Suji Kwock Kim, Notes From the Divided Country
- David Kirby, The Ha-Ha
- Louis Simpson, The Owner of the House
Judges:
[edit] 2005
Canada:
- Roo Borson, Short Journey Upriver Toward Oishida
- George Bowering, Changing on the Fly
- Don McKay, Camber
International:
- Charles Simic, Selected Poems: 1963-2003
- Fanny Howe, On the Ground
- Michael Symmons Roberts, Corpus
- Matthew Rohrer, A Green Light
Judges:
[edit] 2006
Canada:
- Sylvia Legris, Nerve Squall
- Phil Hall, An Oak Hunch
- Erin Mouré, Little theatres
International:
- Kamau Brathwaite, Born to Slow Horses
- Michael Hofmann, translation of Ashes for Breakfast: Selected Poems by Durs Grünbein
- Michael Palmer, Company of Moths
- Elizabeth Winslow, translation of The War Works Hard by Dunya Mikhail
Judges:
Lifetime Recognition Award (presented by the Griffin trustees) to Robin Blaser
[edit] 2007
Canada:
- Don McKay, Strike/Slip
- Ken Babstock, Airstream Land Yacht
- Priscila Uppal, Ontological Necessities
International:
- Charles Wright, Scar Tissue
- Paul Farley, Tramp in Flames
- Rodney Jones, Salvation Blues
- Frederick Seidel, Ooga-Booga
Judges:
Lifetime Recognition Award (presented by the Griffin trustees) to Tomas Tranströmer
[edit] 2008
Canada:
- Robin Blaser, The Holy Forest: Collected Poems of Robin Blaser
- Robert Majzels and Erin Moure, translation of Notebook of Roses and Civilization by Nicole Brossard
- David McFadden, Why Are You So Sad? Selected Poems of David W. McFadden
International:
- John Ashbery, Notes from the Air: Selected Later Poems
- Elaine Equi, Ripple Effect: New and Selected Poems
- Clayton Eshleman, translation of The Complete Poetry: A Bilingual Edition by Cesar Vallejo
- David Harsent, Selected Poems 1969-2005
Judges:
Lifetime Recognition Award (presented by the Griffin trustees) to Ko Un
[edit] 2009
Canada:
- A.F. Moritz, The Sentinel
- Kevin Connolly, Revolver
- Jeramy Dodds, Crabwise to the Hounds
International:
- C.D. Wright, Rising, Falling, Hovering
- Mick Imlah, The Lost Leader
- Derek Mahon, Life on Earth
- Dean Young, Primitive Mentor
Judges:
Lifetime Recognition Award (presented by the Griffin trustees) to Hans Magnus Enzensberger
