'Cold Spring in Winter' shortlisted for Griffin Poetry Prize

Valérie Rouzeau's Cold Spring in Winter is one of four international books to be shortlisted for the Griffin Poetry Prize - the world's biggest.

Its founder Scott Griffin has announced that it will be doubled from $100,000 to $200,000 in recognition of the prize's tenth anniversary. It will be awarded as follows: $10,000 to each of the seven shortlisted - four international and three Canadian - for their participation in the shortlist readings. The winners, announced at the Griffin Poetry Prize Awards evening on Thursday, June 3, 2010, will be awarded $65,000 each, for a total of $75,000 that includes the $10,000 awarded at the Readings the previous evening.

Scott Griffin said, "The size of the prize reflects the importance the Trustees of The Griffin Trust For Excellence In Poetry place on poetry, and its influence on literature. The increased amount of the prize shared among the seven shortlisted poets underlines the importance of the poetry readings, and recognises all seven poets' books."

David Young, trustee, announced the International and Canadian shortlist for this year's prize. He noted that judges Anne Carson (Canada), Kathleen Jamie (Scotland) and Carl Phillips (USA) had each read almost 400 books of poetry, including 12 translations, received from 12 countries around the globe. The seven finalists - three Canadian and four International - will be invited to read in Toronto at Koerner Hall at The Royal Conservatory in the TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning, 273 Bloor Street West, Toronto on Wednesday, June 2, 2010.

» Griffin Poetry Prize website