2019 CBC POETRY PRIZE FINALISTS ANNOUNCED
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An earlier version of this story omitted two entries that had been selected by the jury. The original list has been revised to include the additional pieces.
MONTREAL, November 14, 2019 – CBC BOOKS, CBC’s online home for literary content, together with its partners the Canada Council for the Arts and Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity, today announced the finalists for the 2019 CBC Poetry Prize. An earlier version of this story omitted two entries that had been selected by the jury. The original list has been revised to include the additional pieces.
They are:
- Faith Arkorful of Toronto for Family Affair
- Stephanie Bolster of Montreal for Shelter Object
- Catherine Greenwood of Victoria for The Grolar Bear's Ballad
- Alycia Pirmohamed of Calgary for Love Poem with Elk and Punctuation, Prairie Storm and Tasbih
- Sarah Tsiang of Kingston, Ont. for 12
- Erin Soros of Toronto for You Left Something
- Cara Waterfall of Costa Rica for Caribou in the Anthropocene
Their poems were selected from more than 2,500 entries received from across the country. As of today, the public can read the shortlisted poems on CBCBooks.ca.
The jurors for this year’s CBC Poetry Prize are Lynn Crosbie, Olive Senior and Billy-Ray Belcourt. The winner of this year’s prize will be announced on November 21, 2019.
In addition to a cash prize of $6000 from the Canada Council for the Arts, the Grand Prize winner will receive a two-week writing residency at Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity and will be published on the CBC Books website. The four other finalists will each receive $1000 from the Canada Council for the Arts and will be published on CBC Books.
The French-language Prix de poésie finalists were also announced this morning. More information about those finalists can be found at ICI on Lit under the “Prix de poésie” tab.
For more information on the CBC Literary Prizes, please visit CBCBooks.ca.
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About CBC Books
Home to Canada Reads, Writers & Company with Eleanor Wachtel, The Next Chapter with Shelagh Rogers, Canada Writes and the CBC Literary Prizes, CBC Books connects Canadians with books, encouraging a shared love of reading and writing. For book news, writing challenges, reading lists, book recommendations and more, visit www.CBCbooks.ca.
About CBC/Radio-Canada
CBC/Radio-Canada is Canada’s national public broadcaster. Through our mandate to inform, enlighten and entertain, we play a central role in strengthening Canadian culture. As Canada’s trusted news source, we offer a uniquely Canadian perspective on news, current affairs and world affairs. Our distinctively homegrown entertainment programming draws audiences from across the country. Deeply rooted in communities, CBC/Radio-Canada offers diverse content in English, French and eight Indigenous languages. We also deliver content in Spanish, Arabic and Chinese, as well as both official languages, through Radio Canada International (RCI). We are leading the transformation to meet the needs of Canadians in a digital world.
About Canada Council for the Arts
The Canada Council for the Arts is Canada’s public arts funder, with a mandate to foster and promote the study and enjoyment of, and the production of works in, the arts. The Council champions and invests in artistic excellence through a broad range of grants, services, prizes and payments to professional Canadian artists and arts organizations. Its work ensures that excellent, vibrant and diverse art and literature engages Canadians, enriches their communities and reaches markets around the world. The Council also raises public awareness and appreciation of the arts through its communications, research and arts promotion activities. It is responsible for the Canadian Commission for UNESCO, which promotes the values and programs of UNESCO in Canada to contribute to a more peaceful, equitable and sustainable future. The Council’s Public Lending Right (PLR) Program sends yearly payments to creators whose works are in Canada’s public libraries. The Canada Council Art Bank operates art rental programs and helps further public engagement with contemporary arts.
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:
Frances Bedford Diane Hargrave
CBC Communications Diane Hargrave Public Relations
frances.bedford@cbc.ca dhprbks@interlog.com
416-205-7673 416-467-9954
