The organizers of the Griffin Poetry Prize are planning a town hall meeting to review and potentially revise the award’s structure. Scott Griffin, the benefactor of the prize, sought input from the public following criticism over recent changes he implemented. Formerly, the prize consisted of two separate $65,000 awards—one for an international poet and one for a Canadian poet. However, in 2022, Griffin decided to merge the awards into a single $130,000 prize open to all poets. Additionally, a $10,000 prize is now given to the best first poetry book by a Canadian citizen or permanent resident.
Concerns were raised that these alterations may have disadvantaged Canadian poets, especially after this year’s long list was revealed without any Canadian names. In response, the Griffin Trust conducted a survey with 285 participants. A town hall meeting is scheduled for May 25, both in-person at Victoria College, University of Toronto, and online. The upcoming Griffin Poetry Prize winner will be announced on June 3 during a gala event in Toronto.
Last year’s recipients included German poet Durs Grünbein for “Psyche Running,” translated by Karen Leeder, Margaret Atwood for a lifetime achievement award, and Dawn Macdonald for the Canadian First Book Prize for “Northerny.” Previous Canadian winners of the prize include Tolu Oloruntoba, Billy-Ray Belcourt, Anne Carson, Roo Borson, Dionne Brand, and Jordan Abel. For poetry enthusiasts, the CBC Poetry Prize is currently open for submissions until June 1 at 4:59 p.m. ET. Be sure to review the competition’s rules and regulations before entering.