Canadian Ian Williams among judges for next year’s Griffin Poetry Prize

TORONTO – Sarah Howe of the U.K., American Ben Lerner and University of British Columbia Prof. Ian Williams are the judges for next year’s Griffin Poetry Prize.

Two $65,000 awards will be handed out for the best English-language Canadian book of poetry and the best work by an international writer.

The short list of contenders — consisting of three Canadian books and four by international poets — will be unveiled on April 10, 2018.

The winners will be announced at an awards gala in Toronto on June 7, 2018. The runners-up will receive $10,000.

Williams, who will have his forthcoming debut novel “Reproduction” published by Random House, was previously shortlisted for the Griffin for “Personals” in 2013.

In June, Jordan Abel was awarded the Canadian Griffin prize for “Injun,” a long poem about racism and the representation of Indigenous Peoples. British poet Alice Oswald won the international prize for “Falling Awake.”