Poetry Reigns at the Trillium Prize with Winners Dionne Brand and Robin Richardson

Dionne Brand and Robin Richardson

It's was an all-poetry year for the Trillium Book Awards, announced last night in Toronto. Both the Trillium Book Award (an open genre prize) and, of course, the Trillium Poetry Award went to female poets.

Former Toronto Poet Laureate Dionne Brand won the Trillium Book Award's English language prize for The Blue Clerk (McClelland and Stewart), which was also nominated for the Griffin Poetry Prize this year, while Robin Richardson won the Trillium Poetry Award's English prize for Sit How You Want (Signal Editions/Véhicule Press), her third collection, which the Toronto Star called "volcanic".

Brand will receive $20,000, Richardson $10,000, and their publishers will receive $2,500 and $2,000 respectively to help promote the winning titles. 

The Trillium Awards are a heavy hitters in the prize landscape, funded by Ontario Creates and celebrating Ontario literature. The prizes count past winners like Michael Ondaatje, Timothy Findley, Alice Munro, and many other household names. Brand previously won the prize in 1997.

Congratulations to Brand, Richardson, and all the nominees! For more information, including the French language winners and finalists, please visit the Ontario Creates website.