Kicking Off National Poetry Month with the League of Canadian Poets Book Awards Longlists!

It's officially National Poetry Month and we're getting into the groove of all things poetic for the next month, from our terrific new WIR, the E.J. Pratt Medal-winning poet Edward Carson, to diving into the the League of Canadian Poets' annual prize lists. 

The League announced the longlists today for the Gerald Lampert Memorial Award, the Pat Lowther Memorial Award, and the Raymond Souster Award. 

Gerald Lampert Memorial Award 

Given in the memory of Gerald Lampert, an arts administrator who organized authors’ tours and took a particular interest in the work of new writers. The award recognizes a debut book of poetry published by a Canadian. The award carries a $2,000 prize and is sponsored by the LCP.

2019 Gerald Lampert Memorial Longlist:

•    Ritual Lights by Joelle Barron (Goose Lane Editions)
•    Short Histories of Light by Aidan Chafe (McGill-Queen’s University Press)
•    Ekke by Klara du Plessis (Palimpsest Press)
•    Quarry by Tanis Franco (University of Calgary Press)
•    Unstable Neighbourhood Rabbit by Mikko Harvey (House of Anansi Press)
•    Dividing the Wayside by Jenny Haysom (Palimpsest Press)
•    Obits. by Tess Liem (Coach House Books)
•    No Meeting Without Body by Annick MacAskill (Gaspereau Press) 
•    We Like Feelings. We Are Serious. by Julie McIsaac (Wolsak & Wynn) 
•    Port of Being by Shazia Hafiz Ramji (Invisible Publishing)
•    East and West by Laura Ritland (Véhicule Press) 
•    Night Became Years by Jason Stefanik (Coach House Books)

2019 Jury: Adebe DeRango-Adem, Amanda Earl, Jacob McArthur Mooney 

Pat Lowther Memorial Award 

Given for a book of poetry by a Canadian woman, and is in memory of the late Pat Lowther, whose career was cut short by her untimely death in 1975. The award carries a $2,000 prize and is sponsored by the LCP.

2019 Pat Lowther Memorial Award Longlist:

•    Holy Wild by Gwen Benaway (Book*hug) 
•    The Blue Clerk by Dionne Brand (McClelland & Stewart)
•    Mrs Romanov by Lori Cayer (The Porcupine’s Quill) 
•    Listen Before Transmit by Dani Couture (Wolsak & Wynn)
•    Ekke by Klara du Plessis (Palimpsest Press)
•    I left nothing inside on purpose by Stevie Howell (McClelland & Stewart) 
•    Obits. by Tess Liem (Coach House Books) 
•    Body Work by Emilia Nielsen (Signature Editions)
•    Port of Being by Shazia Hafiz Ramji (Invisible Publishing)
•    East and West by Laura Ritland (Véhicule Press) 
•    Reunion by Deanna Young (Brick Books) 
•    The Missing Field by Jennifer Zilm (Guernica Editions)

2019 Jury: Robert Colman, Brenda Leifso, Shane Neilson

Raymond Souster Award 

Given for a book of poetry by a League of Canadian Poets member. The award honours Raymond Souster, an early founder of the League of Canadian Poets. The award carries a $2,000 prize and is sponsored by the LCP.

2019 Raymond Souster Award Longlist:

•    Correspondent by Dominique Bernier-Cormier (Goose Lane Editions)
•    How to Avoid Huge Ships by Julie Bruck (Brick Books) 
•    Mrs Romanov by Lori Cayer (The Porcupine’s Quill) 
•    God of Shadows by Lorna Crozier (McClelland & Stewart)
•    Anatomic by Adam Dickinson (Coach House Books)
•    Trauma Head by Elee Kraljii Gardiner (Anvil Press)
•    No Line in Time by Sonja Ruth Greckol (Tightrope Books)
•    I left nothing inside on purpose by Stevie Howell (McClelland & Stewart)
•    Welcome to the Anthropocene by Alice Major (University of Alberta Press)     
•    Tar Swan by David Martin (NeWest Press)   
•    Rooster, Dog, Crow by Jim Nason (Frontenac House) 
•    Ledi by Kim Trainor (Book*hug) 

2019 Jury: Kathy Mac, Maurice Mierau, Concetta Principe

The shortlists for all categories will be revealed on Tuesday, April 23rd, 2019. Winners, including that of the 2019 Sheri-D Wilson Golden Beret Award for Spoken Word, will be announced at the annual Awards Ceremony, taking place in St. John’s, Newfoundland, on June 8, 2019. Visit the League of Canadian Poets website for more information and stay tuned to Open Book for more Poetry Month excitement.