The Griffin Poetry Prize has been restructured, but are Canadian poets getting left behind?
Photo credit Tom Saddler (2015)
There’s been a big shake-up in the Canadian literary world recently. The Griffin Poetry Prize, one of the most prestigious prizes for poetry, has changed its funding model, and not everyone is overjoyed.
Originally founded in 2000 by Canadian entrepreneur and philanthropist Scott Griffin, the prize had separate categories for Canadian poetry and international poetry with the winners winning $65,000 each.
On September 8, 2022, the Griffin organizers announced that the prize will now combine both Canadian and international poetry into a single $130,000 award, making the prize the largest international prize for a single book of poetry written in, or translated into, English. The other shortlisted poets in the new single category will each receive $10,000. A new $10,000 prize has also been announced for a Canadian first book of poetry, which also awards the winner with a six-week residency in Italy.
But not everyone is pleased with this restructuring, particularly Canadian poets and the literary community, as there are numerous issues at play here. At the top of the list are concerns about the Griffin Poetry Prize honouring and supporting Canadian poets, for whom the prize was originally created.
Literary awards are important in Canada not only for prestige but also for the media attention they bring and the sales boost they give. Authors and poets get paid based on how many copies their books sell, and having your book shortlisted for a major award helps with book sales.
According to Alicia Elliott, a Tuscarora writer and author of A Mind Spread Out on the Ground, the economic stability of Canadian poets is at risk due to this change in the award. Elliott criticized the decision in a CBC column stating that it does a disservice to Canadian poets and that the Griffin Prize is no longer a prize for poets in Canada.
While she makes it clear that no one thinks that Canadian poets can’t compete internationally, she fears the possibility of no Canadian poets making the long or shortlists in the future, unlike previously when a minimum of three would be shortlisted.
According to Scott Griffin, the founder of the Griffin Poetry Prize, the change is being made to emphasize the international nature of poetry, to provide worldwide recognition for Canadian poets, and to give Canadian poets the honour of competing with poets on a world stage.
"I suspect there will be some pushback on the fact that the prizes are being merged,” said Griffin. “This is actually a step forward — Canadians should be proud that they're competing now along with every other country."
However, Canadian poets feel that the Griffin Prize is chasing the fame of being the largest poetry prize to the detriment of the Canadian poetry community. Tom Cull, Western University professor and former London, Ontario’s Poet Laureate, said that it seems that the prize is pursuing size and prestige over honouring and sustaining small Canadian presses and poets.
The Griffin Poetry Prize is currently proceeding with these changes and has announced the 2023 jury as well as a timeline for the announcement of the longlist, shortlist, and the award’s gala date.
Apart from the trustees, it is unclear what kind of broader community consultation took place before this decision was made and announced to the world. It remains to be seen if the pushback will help spark a review or change in the decision.
Arjun Singh
is an emerging writer located in the Greater Toronto Area. He writes prose and screenplays and is currently hard at work on a novel, screenplay and a short story collection. He is also an avid reader and has an ambitious goal of reading 60 books every year. Arjun was published in the Humber Literary Review's Spotlight edition in Spring 2022.