The literary world has recently seen the announcement of shortlists for two prestigious awards: the Griffin Poetry Prize and the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction.

Griffin Poetry Prize: No Canadian Representation

The Griffin Poetry Prize has revealed its five nominees for the $130,000 award. For the second consecutive year, no Canadian poets are among the shortlisted contenders.

This year’s nominees represent diverse voices from Nigeria, the United States, and Chile (through translation). The selected poets are Gbenga Adesina, Kevin Young, Aracelis Girmay, Ange Mlinko, and Daniel Borzutzky and Alec Schumacher, who translated the works of Elvira Hernández.

Award Format Changes & Concerns

The absence of Canadian poets follows a 2022 change consolidating separate Canadian and international prizes (previously each worth $65,000) into a single $130,000 award. Founder Scott Griffin expressed concerns that Canadian poets struggled to win the international prize.

Since the change, only one Canadian poet, George McWhirter, has won a Griffin Prize. The organization is seeking feedback and plans a town hall discussion regarding the current format.

Selection Process

The jury – Andrea Cote, Luke Hathaway, and Major Jackson – reviewed 461 poetry submissions, including 34 translations from 19 languages, representing 42 countries and 219 publishers.

Nominees were chosen based on the quality and impact of their work. Daniel Borzutzky was a previous contender in 2019. Kevin Young’s work explores themes of migration, life, and death. Adesina’s poetry focuses on Black and diasporic experiences, while Girmay’s transforms grief. Mlinko’s work is playful and layered, and Borzutzky and Schumacher’s translation is lauded for conveying Hernández’s complex voice.

Carol Shields Prize for Fiction

The Carol Shields Prize for Fiction, recognizing women and non-binary writers in North America, has nominated Julia Elliott, Quiara Alegría Hudes, Lee Lai, Megha Majumdar, and Sonya Walger.

The winner of the Carol Shields Prize will be announced at a ceremony in Toronto on June 2nd.

Both the Griffin Poetry Prize and the Carol Shields Prize for Fiction play a vital role in celebrating literary excellence and fostering a vibrant literary culture. The awards highlight the power of poetry and fiction to illuminate the human experience.