2024 Griffin Poetry Prize winner announced

The Griffin Poetry Prize has announced the 2024 winner, “Self-Portrait in the Zone of Silence” by Homero Aridjis. The book is translated by George McWhirter (Northern Ireland/Canada) and published by New Directions Publishing (USA).

Homero Aridjis was born in Contepec, Michoacán, Mexico. He has written 51 books of poetry and prose and won many important literary prizes. Formerly Mexico’s ambassador to Switzerland, the Netherlands, and UNESCO, he is also the President Emeritus of PEN International and the founder and president of the Group of 100, an environmentalist association of artists and scientists.

George McWhirter won $78,000 for his translation of “Self-Portrait.” The international prize of C$130,000 is divided with 60% going to the translator and 40% to the original author; each additional finalist receives C$10,000.

The other shortlisted titles were:

• “A Crash Course in Molotov Cocktails” by Amelia M. Glaser (USA) and Yuliya Ilchuk (Ukraine), translated from the Ukrainian written by Halyna Kruk (Ukraine), published by Arrowsmith Press
• “To 2040” by Jorie Graham (USA), published by Copper Canyon Press
• “School of Instructions” by Ishion Hutchinson (Jamaica), published by Faber & Faber, and Farrar, Straus & Giroux
• “Door” by Ann Lauterbach (USA), published by Penguin Books

Halyna Kruk opened the poetry readings with the poem “Moment of Truth” (2020), which she read in Ukrainian. She closed her readings with “I Dream about a Bombshelter” (2013). 

Ishion Hutchinson read his poetry starting from “invocation” to the West Indian Soldiers who Fought in World War I.

Jorie Graham and Homero Aridjis were not able to participate in the award ceremony.

A panel of judges comprising Albert F. Moritz (Canada), Jan Wagner (Germany), and Anne Waldman (USA) carefully evaluated 592 poetry books, including 49 translated works from 22 languages, submitted by 235 publishers across 14 countries. This process resulted in a 10-book longlist, which was later narrowed down to the final shortlist.

A new $10,000 CAD prize, Canadian First Book of poetry, accompanied by a six-week residency in Italy, was awarded to Maggie Burton for the book “Chores,” published by Breakwater Books. This award is available to Canadian citizens or permanent residents for a first book written in English. Additionally, the Griffin trustees presented a Lifetime Recognition Award worth $25,000 CAD, which was awarded to Don McKay this year.

The Griffin Poetry Prize is one of the world’s most prestigious poetry awards, recognizing a single book of poetry written in or translated into English. This marks the second year that the prize is being awarded to a single book, rather than two books in separate international and Canadian categories. The Griffin Poetry Prize announced this change, along with the combined prize money, in the fall of 2022.

Copy editing: Joy Tataryn, Terra Friedman King