Shortlisted Poet in Focus: Catherine-Esther Cowie

Author photo © Esther Cowie

Catherine-Esther Cowie, shortlisted for the T. S. Eliot Prize 2025 with her collection Heirloom (Carcanet Press), is the featured poet in this week’s Eliot Prize newsletter.

The newsletter tells you about the wide range of content we have just published to help you get to know Catherine-Esther and her work.

In the latest additions to the celebrated T. S. Eliot Prize video series, Catherine-Esther talks about Heirloom and reads her poems ‘The Outside Child‘, ‘Mimoriam‘ and ‘Aftermath‘. View these videos and more on the T. S. Eliot Prize YouTube channel.

Download the Reader’s Notes on Heirloom, 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 a searching review, commissioned from John Field, offering vivid insights into the work.

Look out for the latest additions to the Poetry School’s Writer’s Notes series, educational resources for poets looking to develop their practice and learn from the poets shortlisted for the T. S. Eliot Prize. Natalie Shapero, Gillian Allnutt and Vona Groarke have written the first of this year’s articles; look out for more by this year’s shortlisted poets in the coming weeks and browse the series on the Poetry School website.

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

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Catherine-Esther Cowie was born in St Lucia to a Tobagonian father and a St Lucian mother. She migrated with her family to Canada and then...

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