Toronto, March 12, 2001 – The shortlist for the inaugural $80,000 Griffin Poetry Prize will be announced on April 11 at Montreal’s Blue Metropolis International Literary Festival.
The shortlist will include three Canadian and four international poets. The shortlisted winners will read in Toronto on June 6 at a special Harbourfront Reading Series event and the two winners will be announced June 7 at the Griffin Poetry Prize inaugural awards ceremony.
Attending the festival on behalf of The Griffin Trust For Excellence In Poetry will be the Chairman, Scott Griffin in addition to Trustees Michael Ondaatje and Robin Robertson.
The C$80,000 Griffin Poetry Prize includes two literary awards for excellence in English poetry, divided between a Canadian poet and a poet from anywhere in the world. The prizes are awarded annually for collections of poetry published in English during the preceding year.
The Griffin Trust was launched in September, 2000 by Trustees Margaret Atwood, Scott Griffin, Robert Hass, Michael Ondaatje, Robin Robertson and David Young. The Judges for the 2001 award are Carolyn Forché, Dennis Lee and Paul Muldoon.
Visit our Web site at www.griffinpoetryprize.com.
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For more information, contact:
Prudence Emery
Griffin Trust for Excellence in Poetry
Telephone: (905) 565-5993
E-mail: press@griffinpoetryprize.com