Forward Prizes for Poetry
| Forward Prizes for Poetry | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Awarded for | Best Collection (£10,000); Best First Collection (£5,000); Best Single Poem (£1,000) |
| Sponsor | Arts Council England, The John Ellerman Foundation, The Esmee Fairbairn Foundation, The Rothschild Foundation |
| Location | United Kingdom |
The Forward Prizes for Poetry were created in 1991 by William Sieghart with the aim of extending poetry's audience, raising poetry's profile and linking poetry to people in new ways. The prizes do this by identifying and honouring talent. Each year, works shortlisted for the prizes - plus those highly commended by the judges - are collected in the Forward Book of Poetry.
The awards are among the most coveted poetry prizes in the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland: previous winners include Thom Gunn, Seamus Heaney, Alice Oswald, Ted Hughes, Carol Ann Duffy and Kathleen Jamie.
The winners of the 2014 prizes were awarded on 30 September at Southbank Centre, in a ceremony which also remembered Dannie Abse. The 23rd Forward Book of Poetry, an anthology of all the poems shortlisted for the prizes or highly commended by the judges, was launched at the same event.
- Kei Miller, The Cartographer Tries to Map a Way to Zion (Carcanet) - The Forward Prize for Best Collection
- Liz Berry, Black Country (Chatto & Windus) - The Felix Dennis Prize for Best First Collection
- Stephen Santus, 'In a Restaurant' (The Bridport Prize) - The Forward Prize for Best Single Poem
Details
The Forward Prizes for Poetry consist of three awards:
- The Forward Prize for Best Collection, £10,000
- The Felix Dennis Prize for Best First Collection, £5,000
- The Forward Prize for Best Single Poem in memory of Michael Donaghy, £1,000
The Prizes are run by the Forward Arts Foundation, which is also responsible for National Poetry Day. The director of the Forward Arts Foundation is Susannah Herbert and the assistant director is Maisie Lawrence.[1]
Judges
The 2014 judging panel was chaired by Jeremy Paxman. His fellow judges are the singer/songwriter Cerys Matthews, and the poets Dannie Abse, Helen Mort and Vahni Capildeo.[2]
2014 Shortlist
Best Collection
Colette Bryce, The Whole & Rain-domed Universe (Picador Poetry)
John Burnside, All One Breath (Cape Poetry)
Louise Glück, Faithful and Virtuous Night (Carcanet)
Kei Miller, The Cartographer Tries to Map a Way to Zion (Carcanet)
Hugo Williams, I Knew the Bride (Faber & Faber)
Best First Collection
Fiona Benson, Bright Travellers (Cape Poetry)
Liz Berry, Black Country (Chatto & Windus)
Niall Campbell, Moontide (Bloodaxe Books)
Beatrice Garland, The Invention of Fireworks (Templar Poetry)
Kevin Powers, Letter Composed During a Lull in the Fighting (Sceptre)
Vidyan Ravinthiran, Grun-tu-molani (Bloodaxe Books)
Best Single Poem
Tim Nolan, 'Red Wing Correctional Facility' (Troubadour International Poetry Prize)
Denise Riley, 'After La Rochefoucauld' (Eggbox/UEA Poetry Series)
Stephen Santus, 'In a Restaurant' (The Bridport Prize)
Jack Underwood, 'Thank you for your email' (The White Review)
Jeffrey Wainwright, 'An Empty Street' (PN Review)
2013 Shortlist
Best Collection
Rebecca Goss, Her Birth (Carcanet/Northern House)
Glyn Maxwell, Pluto (Picador Poetry)
Sinéad Morrissey, Parallax (Carcanet)
Jacob Polley, The Havocs (Picador Poetry)
Michael Symmons Roberts, Drysalter (Cape Poetry)
Best First Collection
Emily Berry, Dear Boy (Faber and Faber)
Marianne Burton, She Inserts the Key (Seren)
Steve Ely, Oswald's Book of Hours (Smokestack Books)
Hannah Lowe, Chick (Bloodaxe Books)
Dan O'Brien, War Reporter (CB Editions)
Adam White, Accurate Measurements (Doire Press)
Best Single Poem
Patience Agbabi, 'The Doll's House' (Poetry Review)
C. J. Allen, 'Explaining the Plot of Blade Runner to My Mother Who Has Alzheimer's' (Troubadour International Poetry Prize)
Rosie Shepperd, 'A Seedy Narrative or Moments of Lyrical Stillness?' (Smith|Doorstop)
Nick MacKinnon, 'The Metric System' (The Warwick Review)
Hugo Williams, 'From the Dialysis Ward' (London Review of Books)[3]
Previous Winners
Best Collection
- 2014: Kei Miller, The Cartographer Tries to Map a Way to Zion (Carcanet)
- 2013: Michael Symmons Roberts, Drysalter (Cape Poetry)
- 2012: Jorie Graham, Place [4]
- 2011: John Burnside, Black Cat Bone (Jonathan Cape)
- 2010: Seamus Heaney, Human Chain (Faber)
- 2009: Don Paterson, Rain (Faber)
- 2008: Mick Imlah, The Lost Leader (Faber)
- 2007: Sean O'Brien, The Drowned Book (Picador)
- 2006: Robin Robertson, Swithering (Picador)
- 2005: David Harsent, Legion (Faber & Faber)
- 2004: Kathleen Jamie, The Tree House (Picador)
- 2003: Ciarán Carson, Breaking News (The Gallery Press)
- 2002: Peter Porter, Max is Missing (Picador)
- 2001: Sean O'Brien, Downriver (Picador)
- 2000: Michael Donaghy, Conjure (Picador)
- 1999: Jo Shapcott, My Life Asleep (Oxford University Press)
- 1998: Ted Hughes, Birthday Letters (Faber and Faber)
- 1997: Jamie McKendrick, The Marble Fly (Oxford University Press)
- 1996: John Fuller, Stones and Fires (Chatto & Windus)
- 1995: Sean O'Brien, Ghost Train (Oxford University Press)
- 1994: Alan Jenkins, Harm (Chatto & Windus)
- 1993: Carol Ann Duffy, Mean Time (Anvil Press)
- 1992: Thom Gunn, The Man with Night Sweats (Faber and Faber)
Best First Collection
- 2014: Liz Berry, Black Country (Chatto & Windus)
- 2013: Emily Berry, Dear Boy (Faber and Faber)
- 2012: Sam Riviere, 81 Austerities [4]
- 2011: Rachael Boast, Sidereal (Picador Poetry)
- 2010: Hilary Menos, Berg (Seren)
- 2009: Emma Jones, The Striped World (Faber)
- 2008: Kathryn Simmonds, Sunday at the Skin Launderette (Seren)
- 2007: Daljit Nagra, Look We Have Coming to Dover! (Faber and Faber)
- 2006: Tishani Doshi, Countries of the Body (Aark Arts)
- 2005: Helen Farish, Intimates (Jonathan Cape)
- 2004: Leontia Flynn, These Days (Jonathan Cape)
- 2003: A. B. Jackson, Fire Stations (Anvil Press)
- 2002: Tom French, Touching the Bones (The Gallery Press)
- 2001: John Stammers, The Panoramic Lounge Bar (Picador)
- 2000: Andrew Waterhouse, In (The Rialto)
- 1999: Nick Drake, The Man in the White Suit (Bloodaxe)
- 1998: Paul Farley, The Boy from the Chemist is Here to See You (Picador)
- 1997: Robin Robertson, A Painted Field (Picador)
- 1996: Kate Clanchy, Slattern (Chatto & Windus)
- 1995: Jane Duran, Breathe Now, Breathe (Enitharmon Press)
- 1994: Kwame Dawes, Progeny of Air (Peepal Tree)
- 1993: Don Paterson, Nil Nil (Faber and Faber)
- 1992: Simon Armitage, Kid (Faber and Faber)
Best Single Poem
- 2014: Stephen Santus, 'In a Restaurant' (The Bridport Prize)
- 2013: Nick MacKinnon, 'The Metric System' (The Warwick Review)
- 2012: Denise Riley, 'A Part Song' [4]
- 2011: R. F. Langley, 'To a Nightingale' (London Review of Books)
- 2010: Julia Copus, 'An Easy Passage'
- 2009: Robin Robertson, 'At Roane Head'
- 2008: Don Paterson, 'Love Poem for Natalie 'Tusja' Beridze' (Poetry Review)
- 2007: Alice Oswald, 'Dunt' (Poetry London)
- 2006: Sean O'Brien, 'Fantasia on a Theme of James Wright' (Poetry Review)
- 2005: Paul Farley, 'Liverpool Disappears for a Billionth of a Second' (The North)
- 2004: Daljit Nagra, 'Look We Have Coming to Dover!' (Poetry Review)
- 2003: Robert Minhinnick, 'The Fox in the National Museum of Wales' (Poetry London)
- 2002: Medbh McGuckian, 'She is in the Past, She has this Grace' (The Shop)
- 2001: Ian Duhig, 'The Lammas Hireling'
- 2000: Tessa Biddington, 'The Death of Descartes'
- 1999: Robert Minhinnick, 'Twenty-five Laments for Iraq'
- 1998: Sheenagh Pugh, 'Envying Owen Beattie'
- 1997: Lavinia Greenlaw, 'A World Where News Travelled Slowly'
- 1996: Kathleen Jamie, 'The Graduates'
- 1995: Jenny Joseph, 'In Honour of Love'
- 1994: Iain Crichton Smith, 'Autumn'
- 1993: Vicki Feaver, 'Judith'
- 1992: Jackie Kay, 'Black Bottom'
Previous Judges
2014
2013
- Jeanette Winterson (CHAIR)
- Paul Farley
- Sheenagh Pugh
- Samuel West
- David Mills
2012
- Leonie Rushforth (CHAIR)
- Alice Oswald
- Ian McMillan
- Megan Walsh
- Emma Hogan
2011
- Andrew Motion (CHAIR)
- Fiona Sampson
- Leonie Rushforth
- Lady Antonia Fraser
- Sameer Rahim
2010
- Ruth Padel (CHAIR)
- Hugo Williams
- Dreadlockalien
- Alex Clark
- Fiona Shaw
2009
- Josephine Hart (CHAIR)
- Tishani Doshi
- Nick Wroe
- Jean Sprackland
- David Harsent
2008
- Frieda Hughes (CHAIR)
- Fleur Adcock
- Alan Brownjohn
- Lemn Sissay
- Natalie Whittle
2007
- Michael Symmons Roberts (CHAIR)
- Colin Greenwood
- Glyn Maxwell
- Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze
- Sarah Crown
2006
- John Burnside (CHAIR)
- Moniza Alvi
- Sebastian Faulks
- Sam Leith
- Caroline Spencer
2005
- Tim Dee (CHAIR)
- Michael Symmons Roberts
- Maura Dooley
- Claire Armitstead
- Romesh Gunesekera
2004
- Lavinia Greenlaw (CHAIR)
- Tim Dee
- Patience Agbabi
- Ruth Fainlight
- WN Herbert
2003
- Peter Stothard (CHAIR)
- Connie Bensley
- Vona Groarke
- Beth Orton
- Daisy Goodwin
2002
- Michael Donaghy (CHAIR)
- Sean O’Brien
- Rosie Millard
- Peter Stothard
- Lavinia Greenlaw
2001
- Christina Patterson (CHAIR)
- Rachel Campbell-Johnson
- Michael Donaghy
- AA Gill
- Peter Porter
2000
- John Walsh (CHAIR)
- Annalena McAffee
- Brian Patten
- Jo Shapcott
- Bill Swainson
1999
- Simon Armitage (CHAIR)
- Helen Dunmore
- Penelope Shuttle
- Erica Wagner
- John Walsh
1998
1997
- John Fuller (CHAIR)
- Geordie Greig
- Kathleen Jamie
- Chris Mead
- Sue Roberts
1996
- Alan Jenkins (CHAIR)
- Penelope Fitzgerald
- Alastair Niven
- Sean O’Brien
- Michèle Roberts
1995
- Carol Ann Duffy (CHAIR)
- Rosie Boycott
- Peter Forbes
- Lord Gowrie
- Alan Jenkins
1994
- Cressida Connolly (CHAIR)
- Carol Ann Duffy
- Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze
- John Gross
- Alexander Shulman
1993
- Margaret Drabble (CHAIR)
- Douglas Dunn
- Blake Morrison
- Liz Lochhead
- Cressida Connolly
1992
See also
- List of literary awards
- List of British literary awards
- English poetry
- List of poetry awards
- List of years in poetry
- List of years in literature
References
- ↑ Forward Arts Foundation. Retrieved 04 July 2013
- ↑ http://www.thebookseller.com/news/paxman-chair-forward-poetry-prizes.html
- ↑ Shortlist Announcement, 08.07.13, 'http://forwardartsfoundation.org/poetry.html'
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Alison Flood (1 October 2012). "Jorie Graham takes 2012 Forward prize". The Guardian. Retrieved 1 October 2012.