Poets House, Spring Street, New York City
New York City – April 19, 2005 – Scott Griffin, founder of The Griffin Trust For Excellence In Poetry – the largest poetry prize in the world – will be speaking at a landmark New York City poetry event on the evening of Tuesday April 19th titled Borderless: A Reading By Canadian Poets. Poets House, a poetry and literary centre, was created in 1985 to provide a meeting place for both writers and lovers of poetry as well as a space for its impressive collection of 40,000 volumes. The Readings are part of the multi-event, New York launch of Open Field, edited by Sina Queyras with a preface by Molly Peacock – a brilliant new anthology of Canadian contemporary poetry. Five of the poets included in the anthology – Ken Babstock, Christian Bök (author of Eunoia which won the Canadian category Griffin Poetry Prize in 2002), Sue Goyette, Erin Moure (one of the three judges of the 2005 Griffin Poetry Prize) and Karen Solie will participate in this Poets House reading.
Scott Griffin will take part in the event representing Canadian poets and publishers by presenting a large collection of volumes of Canadian poetry offered to Poets House for its permanent collection. Griffin is pleased to be invited to speak to the gathering, noting that the enthusiasm displayed by Canadian publishers in providing the 626 volumes that make up the collection is proof positive of the Canadian commitment to poetry – and will cement a permanent bond between Canada’s poetry community and Poets House in New York City. This event is the latest in a series of international events marking April as Poetry Month.
Griffin feels the interest shown by Poets House in establishing a Canadian poetry collection is due to the increase in attention to poetry, making appreciation of poetry truly “Borderless”. Borderless: A Reading by Canadian Poets – Tuesday April 19th, 2005 – Poets House, 72 Spring Street, New York. Tel: (212) 431-7920.
On April 6th, in Toronto, Canada, the 5th Annual Griffin Poetry Prize shortlist was revealed. 433 submissions were received, three Canadian poets – Roo Borson, George Bowering and Don McKay – and four International poets – Fanny Howe, Matthew Rohrer, Michael Symmons Roberts and Charles Simic – were announced to the press and public. Readings by the seven shortlisted poets will be held on June 1st at the MacMillan Theatre on the University of Toronto campus.
– 30 –
For more information about The Griffin Trust For Excellence In Poetry and for instructions on how to purchase tickets to the June 1st Readings at The MacMillan Theatre, call (905) 565-5993, or go to: www.griffinpoetryprize.com/tickets.
For more information, contact:
Press and Publicity:
Jane Wilson, Public Relations Director
E-mail: press@griffinpoetryprize.com