An Unprecedented 441 Eligible Books Submitted
TORONTO – April 5, 2006 – Scott Griffin, founder of The Griffin Trust For Excellence In Poetry and David Young, trustee, today announced the Canadian and International shortlist for this year’s prize. The C$100,000 Griffin Poetry Prize is the most lucrative prize to accept books of poetry from any country in the world – exemplifying the international spirit of the form. The prize is awarded annually for the two best books of poetry, including translations, published in English in the previous year.
An extraordinary 441 eligible books from 15 countries around the globe, translated from 20 different languages, were submitted for 2006. The seven finalists – three Canadian and four International – will be invited to read in Toronto at the MacMillan Theatre on Wednesday, May 31, 2006. The winners, who each receive C$50,000, will be announced on Thursday, June 1, 2006 at the sixth Griffin Poetry Prize awards evening.
Canadian Shortlist
An Oak Hunch • Phil Hall
Brick Books
Nerve Squall • Sylvia Legris
Coach House Books
Little theatres • Erín Moure
House of Anansi Press
International Shortlist
Born to Slow Horses • Kamau Brathwaite
Wesleyan University Press
Ashes for Breakfast: Selected Poems
Michael Hofmann, translated from the German
written by Durs Grünbein
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
Company of Moths • Michael Palmer
New Directions
The War Works Hard
Elizabeth Winslow, translated from the Arabic
written by Dunya Mikhail
New Directions
The judges for 2006 are the distinguished poets Lavinia Greenlaw (United Kingdom), Lisa Robertson (Canada) and Eliot Weinberger (United States of America).
Each year, the Griffin Poetry Prize publishes an anthology, a selection of poems from the shortlisted books, published by House of Anansi Press Inc. Royalties from the Griffin Poetry Prize Anthology are donated to UNESCO’s World Poetry Day.
The Griffin Poetry Prize was launched in September, 2000 by trustees Margaret Atwood, Carolyn Forché, Scott Griffin, Robert Hass, Michael Ondaatje, Robin Robertson and David Young. Each year, the trustees are responsible for selecting the judges for the prize.
The Griffin Trust For Excellence In Poetry was created to serve and encourage poetry written in English anywhere in the world. Eligible collections of poetry, including translations, must be submitted by publishers no later than December 31 in the calendar year of their publication.
Tickets for the Readings to be held on Wednesday, May 31, 2006 at the MacMillan Theatre are available at www.griffinpoetryprize.com/tickets or by calling 905-565-5993.
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Note: The publishers mentioned in our release are those who submitted the books.
Note to booksellers: Griffin Poetry Prize Shortlist posters and stickers are supplied free of charge by The Griffin Trust. Click here to access our order form. Winner stickers will be available after June 1st.
Please direct other inquiries as follows:
|
Press and Publicity Elana Rabinovitch June Dickenson |
General Inquiries Ruth Smith, Manager |
Submitting Publishers’ Web sites:
Brick Books
www.brickbooks.ca
Coach House Books
www.chbooks.com
Farrar, Straus and Giroux
www.fsgbooks.com
House of Anansi Press
www.anansi.ca
New Directions
www.ndpublishing.com
Wesleyan University Press
www.wesleyan.edu/wespress
Shortlist summary, poet bios and citations
Download press release | Download photos
Purchase 2006 Griffin Prize Anthology and shortlist books online