Toronto, July 29, 2002 – Three Griffin Poetry Prize winners – Anne Carson, Alice Notley and Christian Bök – will read from their works at the 2002 Edinburgh International Book Festival at a special Griffin Poetry Prize Event.
The world’s most generous international poetry prize, the Griffin Poetry Prize is worth C$80,000, equally divided between a Canadian and International poet, who each win $40,000. The prize, currently in its second year, is awarded for first edition books of poetry published in the previous calendar year worldwide.
The Griffin Poetry Prize winning poets reading at the festival are Anne Carson, who won the inaugural Canadian prize in 2001 for Men in the Off Hours; Alice Notley, whose Disobedience won the International prize, and Christian Bök, whose Eunoia won the Canadian prize in 2002.
Carson, whose most recent book is The Beauty of the Husband, and Bök, will be flying in from Canada to join Paris-based Alice Notley at the Edinburgh reading which starts at 5:00 p.m. at the Screenbase Studio Theatre on August 24th. In addition, Scott Griffin, chairman of the Griffin Trust and trustees David Young and Robin Robertson (Slow Air) will also be in attendance.
Festival Director Catherine Lockerbie said “The Edinburgh International Book Festival is passionate about the finest words and ideas, just like the Griffin Poetry Prize, so it seemed a natural partnership. We’re delighted, as one of the world’s great celebrations of the written word, to be showcasing such a prestigious and inventive award of international impact and importance … ”
Since the Toronto-based Griffin Trust For Excellence In Poetry was launched in September 2000 by trustees Margaret Atwood, Scott Griffin, Robert Hass, Michael Ondaatje, Robin Robertson, and David Young, more than 645 published books of poetry have been submitted from 35 different countries over the two years the prize has been awarded.
The Griffin Trust was created to serve and encourage excellence in poetry written in English anywhere in the world. Eligible collections of poetry, which includes translations, must be submitted by publishers in the calendar year of their publication.
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For more information, contact:
Prudence Emery, Publicity Director
Griffin Trust for Excellence in Poetry
Telephone: (905) 565-5993
E-mail: press@griffinpoetryprize.com