The Griffin Poetry Prize is a Canadian award for poetry. It was created in 2000 by businessman and philanthropist Scott Griffin.
Before 2022, two separate awards were given to one Canadian poet and one international poet who writes in English. In 2022, these two awards were combined into one international prize worth CAD$130,000. Poets who are shortlisted receive CAD$10,000, and the Lifetime Recognition Award includes a prize of CAD$25,000.
At the same time as the merger, the Griffin Poetry Prize also introduced a juried Canadian First Book Prize to recognize the best debut book by a Canadian poet in the same year.
History
In April 2000, Scott Griffin started the Griffin Trust to help people understand how important poetry is in society's culture. He was the chairman, and the board of trustees included Margaret Atwood, Robert Hass, Michael Ondaatje, Robin Robertson, and David Young. In June 2004, Carolyn Forché joined the board. Over the years, new trustees were added: in 2014, Karen Solie, Colm Tóibín, and Mark Doty; in 2016, Jo Shapcott and Marek Kazmierski; in 2018, Ian Williams; and in 2020, Sarah Howe. Margaret Atwood, Robert Hass, Michael Ondaatje, Robin Robertson, Jo Shapcott, and Colm Tóibín became trustees emeriti.
The Griffin Trust created the Griffin Poetry Prize to help people learn about new poetry collections. To be eligible, poetry collections must have been published between January 1 and December 31 of the year before the prize was given. Only publishers can submit entries. At first, the prize gave two annual awards of CAD$40,000 each. One went to a living Canadian poet, and the other to a living poet from any country, including Canada.
The trustees choose judges each year. These judges select a shortlist of poems, which is announced in April, National Poetry Month. Shortlisted poets then gather for public readings in May or June. The next evening, the winners are announced, and all poets are honored.
In 2010, the total prize money was doubled to CAD$200,000 to celebrate the prize’s tenth anniversary. This included CAD$10,000 for each of seven shortlisted poets—four international and three Canadian—for their participation in readings. The two winners received CAD$65,000 each, with CAD$75,000 total, including the CAD$10,000 given earlier.
Each year, selections from shortlisted works are collected in The Griffin Poetry Prize Anthology, usually edited by one of the year's judges. In 2019, House of Anansi Press worked with the National Network for Equitable Library Services (NNELS) to provide the anthology in print and digital Braille formats.
The Griffin Trust has supported other projects. In November 2010, Scott Griffin launched Poetry In Voice/Les voix de la poésie, a bilingual poetry contest for Canadian high school students. Other efforts include funding a statue honoring poet Al Purdy, participating in international poetry festivals, and donating poetry books to organizations like the Correctional Service of Canada, the Scottish Poetry Library, and rebuilt libraries, schools, and colleges.
In 2022, Griffin Poetry Prize officials announced that the Canadian and international awards would become one prize of CAD$130,000. Scott Griffin said he originally thought Canadian poets needed a separate category, but now believes they should compete globally. The trust also introduced a new prize: CAD$10,000 for a debut Canadian poetry work. Some critics worried this change might reduce opportunities for Canadian poets to gain grants and jobs. For example, Alicia Elliot said the timing of the change happened during a strong period for Black, Indigenous, and poets of color in the Canadian category, and suggested the change implied Canadian literature is only important if praised internationally.
In April 2023, Scott Griffin gave money to the Writers' Trust of Canada to expand the prize package for the Latner Griffin Writers' Trust Poetry Prize.
Honorees and judges
Before 2023, the Griffin Poetry Prize was divided into two groups. One group was for poets from Canada, and the other was for poets from other countries. Each winner received $65,000. In 2023, the prize for Canadian poets was removed. Now, only one winner is chosen each year, and they receive $130,000.