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| Called to the bar! Scott Griffin at Le Select Bistro in Toronto |
And the nominees are ...
For many published poets the size of the Griffin Poetry Prize is much larger than the income they will ever make from selling their books. It is therefore no wonder that the literary world takes notice when Scott and Krystyne Griffin announce the nominees for their $200,000 annual poetry prize.
The backroom of Toronto's Le Select Bistro was packed this morning with journalists, publishers and poets as Scott Griffin read out the shortlist for this year's prize. Seven poets (4 international and 3 Canadians) are in the running for two poetry awards of $65,000 each.
The winners of the prize will be announced June 7th in Toronto. As well each of the seven will also each be awarded $10,000 for their participation in an evening of poetry at Toronto's Royal Conservatory (the TELUS Centre for Performance and
Learning) on Wednesday, June 6th.
Although Griffin made his fortune producing electronic products for the armed forces of the Free World and for the transportation trade, he and his wife Krystyne Griffin have a passion for supporting the arts. They have self-funded the world's largest poetry prize since 2000. As well Scott Griffin is chairman, director and majority shareholder since 2002 of publisher House of Anansi Press/Groundwood Books.
The Shortlist poets are:
INTERNATIONAL
Night - David Harsent ( Britian )
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| Scott Griffin announces the nominees |
November - Sean O'Brien ( Britian )
Sobbing Superpower: Selected Poems of Tadeusz Rózewicz - Tadeusz Rózewicz ( Poland )
CANADIAN
Methodist Hatchet - Ken Babstock
Killdeer - Phil Hall
Forge - Jan Zwicky
