This article on the T. S. Eliot Prize was first published on the Poetry Book Society website in 2009.
The Poetry Book Society is delighted to announce the Shortlist for the T. S. Eliot Prize for Poetry 2009.
Judges Simon Armitage (Chair), Colette Bryce and Penelope Shuttle have chosen the following 10 collections from the 98 new books published in 2009 which were submitted by publishers:
The Sun-fish – Eiléan Ní Chuilleánain (Gallery Press)
Continental Shelf – Fred D’Aguiar (Carcanet Press)
Over – Jane Draycott (Carcanet Press)
The Water Table – Philip Gross (Bloodaxe Books)
Through the Square Window – Sinéad Morrissey (Carcanet Press)
One Secret Thing – Sharon Olds (Cape Poetry)
Weeds & Wild Flowers – Alice Oswald (Faber & Faber)
A Scattering – Christopher Reid (Areté)
The Burning of the Books and Other Poems – George Szirtes (Bloodaxe Books)
West End Final – Hugo Williams (Faber & Faber)
Simon Armitage said:
We believe this to be the most wide-ranging shortlist for a poetry prize for a good number of years, one which reflects the scope, breadth and vitality of contemporary poetry. From the extraordinary number of poetry titles to be published this year we have been most impressed and persuaded by poets who have pushed their level of craft to the next level, or, in some cases, have re-thought their entire approach to writing to produce uniquely invigorated work. The books on this list are by poets who have dreamed and who have dared.
Described as ‘the prize most poets want to win’ (Andrew Motion, then Poet Laureate) and ‘the world’s top poetry award’ (Irish Independent), the T. S. Eliot Prize is awarded to the author of the best new collection of poetry published in the UK and Ireland each year. It is distinctive among poetry prizes in being judged by a panel of established poets.
Last year’s winner of the T. S. Eliot Prize was Jen Hadfield for her second collection, Nigh-No-Place (Bloodaxe Books).
Poetry Book Society Choices
The four Poetry Book Society Choices from 2009 are automatically shortlisted for the Prize: the Spring 2009 Choice, Weeds and Wild Flowers by Alice Oswald and Jessica Greenman (Faber & Faber); the Summer 2009 Choice, Continental Shelf by Fred D’Aguiar (Carcanet Press); the Autumn Choice, West End Final by Hugo Williams (Faber & Faber); and the Winter Choice, Through the Square Window by Sinéad Morrissey (Carcanet Press).
The Award Ceremony
On the evening of Monday 18 January 2010 the 2009 T. S. Eliot Prize award ceremony will be held in the Courtyard at the Wallace Collection, where the Chair of the judges will announce the winner and Mrs Valerie Eliot will present the prizes to the winner and the shortlisted poets. The Prize is the largest cash award in British poetry. The winner will receive £15,000 and each of the shortlisted poets will also receive a cheque for £1,000 in recognition of their achievement.
T. S. Eliot Prize Readings
The T. S. Eliot Shortlist Readings will take place on Sunday 17 January 2010 in the Southbank’s Queen Elizabeth Hall. Book now by visiting the Southbank Centre website.
New T. S. Eliot Prize reading groups
New this year, the Poetry Book Society is running a pilot for the first T. S. Eliot Prize reading group scheme with sample poems, reading group discounts and an article on setting up a poetry reading group.
New Teachers’ Prize
The T. S. Eliot Prize Shadowing Scheme starts today with a new Teachers’ Prize for a review of a shortlisted title, a student poll and a competition for the best individual student’s rationale for their choice of winner.
In the second year of a three-year sponsorship the John S Cohen Foundation will be sponsoring the T. S. Eliot Prize for Poetry.
The T. S. Eliot Prize is supported by the T. S. Eliot Foundation.
This article has been republished to provide a fuller picture of the T. S. Eliot Prize history. The Poetry Book Society ran the T. S. Eliot Prize until 2016, when the T. S. Eliot Foundation took over the Prize, the estate having supported it since its inception.
