2018 Griffin Poetry Prize Shortlists Announced

This week, Scott Griffin, on behalf of the trustees of The Griffin Trust For Excellence In Poetry, announced both the International and Canadian shortlists for this year’s Griffin Prize.

Judges Sarah Howe (UK), Ben Lerner (USA), and Ian Williams (Canada) each read 542 books of poetry, from 33 countries, including 17 translations.

The authors of the seven shortlisted books —four International and three Canadian—will be invited to read in Toronto at Koerner Hall on Wednesday, June 6 at 7.30 p.m. Tickets for the Shortlist Readings are available online or by calling (416) 408-0208.

The two winners, to be announced at the Griffin Poetry Prize Awards on Thursday, June 7, will each be awarded $65,000.

2018 Griffin Prize International Shortlist:

• Heaven Is All Goodbyes by Tongo Eisen-Martin (City Lights)
• Debths by Susan Howe (New Directions)
• Whereas by Layli Long Soldier (Graywolf Press)
• Hard Child by Natalie Shapero (Copper Canyon Press)

2018 Griffin Prize Canadian Shortlist:

• This Wound is a World by Billy-Ray Belcourt (Frontenac House)
• I have to live. by Aisha Sasha John (McClelland & Stewart)
• Same Diff by Donato Mancini (Talonbooks)

Each year, House of Anansi Press publishes an anthology of poems selected from the shortlisted books. The 2018 Anthology is available here.