Shortlisted Poet in Focus: Gustav Parker Hibbett

Gustav Parker Hibbett. Photo © Abbie McNeice

[T]he poems plug elements of autobiography into the mainframe of different mythic structures […] But none of the archetypes Hibbett draws on, from ancient Greek heroes and Shakespearean monsters to modern cinema and music, feel random: they all feel weighty, as if chosen with a quiet reverence and held together associatively. – Ruby Eastwood, Books Ireland

Gustav Parker Hibbett, shortlisted with their collection High Jump as Icarus Story (Banshee Press, 2024), is the featured poet in this week’s Eliot Prize e-newsletter.

The newsletter tells you about the wide range of content we have just published to help you get to know Gustav Parker Hibbett and their collection. This includes specially produced videos of the poet reading from High Jump as Icarus Story, and talking about the composition of their poems and the themes they investigate.

Download the Reader’s Notes on High Jump as Icarus Story, which include a selection of poems from the collection, plus reviews, reading suggestions, and a writing prompt or two for those inspired to respond creatively. The aim of the Readers’ Notes is to inspire deeper readings of the book, individually or shared with friends, book groups or writing workshops.

We have also published an insightful review, specially commissioned from John Field.

To be the first to read Eliot Prize news, simply sign up to weekly e-newsletter.

Related Works

Related Poets

Gustav Parker Hibbett is a Black poet, essayist, and MFA dropout, born in the USA and currently residing in Ireland. They are a 2023 Obsidian...

Related News Stories

The T. S. Eliot Foundation is delighted to announce the winner of the T. S. Eliot Prize 2025 is Karen Solie for Wellwater, published by Picador Poetry. Chair Michael Hofmann said: In Karen Solie we have an outstanding winner. The poems of Wellwater come from the whole of an adventurously...
Please do join us at the Royal Festival Hall as our brilliant shortlisted poets take to the stage at 7pm on Sunday 18 January. Enjoy an event simultaneously epic and intimate as we celebrate the best contemporary poetry. Hosted by the genial Ian McMillan, the evening is always a highlight...
We’re finding it hard to wait until January for the T. S. Eliot Prize Shortlist Readings at the Southbank’s Royal Festival Hall… so we thought we’d relive some of the previous events by asking those involved about their experiences. Ian McMillan has been Master of Ceremonies at the Readings since...
We’re finding it hard to wait until January for the T. S. Eliot Prize Shortlist Readings at the Southbank’s Royal Festival Hall… so we thought we’d relive some of the previous events by asking those involved about their experiences. Ted Hodgkinson is Head of Literature and Spoken Word at the...