CBC BOOKS, CBC’s online home for literary content, together with its partners the Canada Council for the Arts, Air Canada enRoute magazine and Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, today announced the winner of the 2016 CBC Poetry Prize.
Michael Fraser of Toronto, Ontario wins the grand prize for African Canadian in Union Blue. The poem was selected from more than 1300 works received from across the country. You can read African Canadian in Union Blue at CBCBooks.ca.
As grand-prize winner, Fraser will receive $6000 from the Canada Council for the Arts and his poem will be published in the December edition of Air Canada enRoute magazine. He will also receive a 10-day writing residency at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.
The jury was composed of writers Roo Borson, George Elliott Clarke and Erín Moure, who said:
“The excitement of this poem lies in the density and roil of its language that carry the reader into the thick of tumult: war and escape (to Canada) in a mad flight from those who would re-enslave. That this dramatic monologue highlighting African-Canadian history is rife with techniques gleaned from classical Anglo-Canadian poetics is a beautiful endorsement of the poet’s consummate absorption of multiple heritages/histories, literary and political."
Award-winning poet and writer Michael Fraser has been published in national and international anthologies and journals. He won Arc Poetry Magazine’s readers’ choice award for 2012, was included in The Best Canadian Poetry in English 2013 and won FreeFall’s 2014 and 2015 poetry contests. His latest book is To Greet Yourself Arriving.
CBC Books also announced Charles Sagalane as the winner of the French grand prize this morning: for Abrégés et mélanges. For more information, go to ICI.Radio-canada.ca/icionlit under the “Poésie” tab.
The four runners-up for the CBC Poetry Prize, receiving $1000 from the Canada Council for the Arts, are Ross Belot (Hamilton, Ontario) for The Edge of Everything, Selina Boan (Vancouver, British Columbia) for In six, the seasons, Adam Dickinson (St. Catharines, Ontario) for The Metabolites, and Andréa Ledding (Saskatoon, Saskatchewan) for kîwetinotahk pimâcihowin - northern journeys.
For more information on the awards, please visit CBCbooks.ca.
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About CBC Books
CBCbooks.ca features all of CBC's rich literary content and major events and programs such as Canada Reads, Canada Writes, The Next Chapter, and Writers & Company. This one-stop destination for book lovers and writers includes exclusive interviews with authors, the latest literary news stories, book recommendations and writing competitions.
About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada's national public broadcaster and one of its largest cultural institutions. We are Canada’s trusted source of news, information and Canadian entertainment. Deeply rooted in communities all across the country, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages. We also provide international news and information from a uniquely Canadian perspective.
Canada Council for the Arts
The Canada Council for the Arts is Canada’s national arts funder. Its grants and payments to artists and arts organizations benefit Canadians by ensuring a vibrant arts sector in Canada. Its awards celebrate creativity by recognizing exceptional Canadians in the arts, humanities and sciences. The Canada Council Art Bank is a national collection of over 17,000 Canadian contemporary artworks – all accessible to the public through rental, loan and outreach programs. The Canadian Commission for UNESCO operates under the general authority of the Canada Council.
About Air Canada enRoute magazine
Air Canada enRoute magazine is seen by over 1 million readers each month. The magazine – available exclusively on all Air Canada flights and in Maple Leaf Lounges worldwide as well as in select hotels and boutiques across North America – is an inspirational authority for the global traveler, known for its strong visual presence and innovative design. Air Canada enRoute is published by Bookmark, one of the world’s leading content marketing agencies.
About Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity
Founded in 1933, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity is a learning organization built upon an extraordinary legacy of excellence in artistic and creative development. What started as a single course in drama has grown to become the global organization leading in arts, culture, and creativity across dozens of disciplines. From our home in the stunning Canadian Rocky Mountains, Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity aims to inspire everyone who attends our campus – artists, leaders, and thinkers – to unleash their creative potential and realize their unique contribution to society through cross-disciplinary learning opportunities, world-class performances, and public outreach.
For further information, contact:
Nicola Makoway Diane Hargrave
Publicist, CBC Books Diane Hargrave Public Relations
nicola.makoway@cbc.ca 416-205-7673 dhprbks@interlog.com 416-467-9954
