Montreal – CBC BOOKS, CBC's website devoted to books and authors, readers and writers, 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 for the 2017 CBC Poetry Prize is Alessandra Naccarato of Salt Spring Island, BC for Postcards for my Sister. The poem was selected from more than 2400 works received from across the country. You can read Postcards for my Sister at CBCBooks.ca.
As the grand-prize winner, Naccarato will receive $6000 from the Canada Council for the Arts and her poem will be published in the December edition of Air Canada enRoute magazine. She will also receive a 10-day writing residency at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.
The jury was composed of writers Gary Barwin, Rosanna Deerchild and Humble the Poet, who said:
“The women in “Postcards for my Sister” face challenges, loss and sorrow, but they respond with dignity and resilience. The tensile strength of their lives is expressed in visceral, sonorous lines which convey the palpable presence of the natural world, family and their stories. In beautiful and arresting language, the poem introduces us to matriarchs, “big-mouthed women, fat/as trees,” and the patterns which join grandmothers, mothers, sisters and their children to the sometimes difficult realities of birth and death, but also to nature and each other. The reader is powerfully moved by their tenderness, vitality and compassion, their knowing wit, their savvy joy.”
Alessandra Naccarato is a poet, essayist and arts-educator. She holds an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of British Columbia and has toured nationally and internationally as a spoken word artist. A recipient of the RBC Bronwen Wallace Award for Emerging Writers and a finalist for the 2014 CBC Poetry Prize, her writing has appeared across Canada and the United States.
CBC Books also announced Marie-Eve Blanchard as the winner of the French grand prize this morning for Louise. For more information, go to ICI.Radio-canada.ca/icionlit .
The four runners-up for the CBC Poetry Prize, each receiving $1000 from the Canada Council for the Arts, are Cornelia Hoogland (Hornby Island, British Columbia) for Tourists Stroll a Victoria Waterway, Laboni Islam (Toronto, Ontario) for Lunar Landing, 1966, Sarah Kabamba (Ottawa, Ontario) for Carry, and Harold Rhenisch (Vernon, British Columbia) for Saying the Names Shanty.
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. In 2017, CBC/Radio-Canada will be at the heart of the celebrations and conversations with special 2017-themed multiplatform programming and events across Canada.
Canada Council for the Arts
The Canada Council for the Arts is Canada’s national public arts funder. We champion and invest in artistic excellence so that Canadians may enjoy and participate in a rich cultural life. In 2016-17 we allocated $196.8 million dollars towards artistic creation and innovation through our grants, prizes and payments. We also conduct research, convene activities and work with partners to advance the sector and help embed the arts more deeply in communities across the country. We are responsible for the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, which promotes the values and programs of UNESCO to contribute to a more peaceful, equitable and sustainable future for Canadians. The Canada Council Art Bank operates art rental programs and helps further public engagement with contemporary arts.
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 dhprbks@interlog.com
416-205-7673 416-467-9954
