The Rules of the Griffin Poetry Prize

1. The Griffin Poetry Prize, valued at C$100,000, is awarded annually in two categories – International and Canadian. Each prize is worth C$50,000.

2. In each category, the prize is for the best collection of poetry in English published during the preceding year. One prize goes to a living Canadian poet or translator, the other to a living poet or translator from any country, which may include Canada.

3. Translations are assessed for their quality as poetry in English; the focus is on the achievement of the translator.

4. Should a prize-winning book be a translation from a living poet, the prize is awarded 60% to the translator and 40% to the original poet. If the original poet is dead, but his/her work is within copyright, 40% of the prize is given to the original poet’s estate. Otherwise, the disbursement of that portion of the prize is left to the discretion of the judges.

Back to top

1. The Trustees of The Griffin Trust For Excellence In Poetry are:

   Margaret Atwood, Poet/Author
   Carolyn Forché, Poet
   Scott Griffin, Entrepreneur
   Robert Hass, Poet
   Michael Ondaatje, Poet/Author
   Robin Robertson, Poet/Publisher
   David Young, Playwright

2. Trustees may not participate in judging in any way.

3. No Trustee may participate in the selection of judges if he or she has a financial interest in a publishing house that issues contemporary poetry. *

* In May 2002, Scott Griffin purchased House of Anansi Press, a Canadian literary publisher. To preserve the integrity of the Griffin Poetry Prize, he no longer takes part in the selection of judges. And like other Trustees, he is prohibited from involvement in the judging process. (With these safeguards in place, House of Anansi titles are deemed to be eligible for the Griffin Poetry Prize.)

Back to top

1. Qualified judges of stature will be selected annually by the Trustees.

2. Judges may not be on salary at a publishing house that issues contemporary poetry.

3. The judges will compile a short list of up to seven outstanding books of poetry, four International and three Canadian.

4. From the short list, the judges will select the final winners in the International and Canadian categories. Short-listed Canadian books are eligible for both prizes.

5. The judges have absolute discretion in interpreting the rules, and their decision is final.

6. All decisions of the judges will be unanimous.

7. Click here for the current panel of judges.

Back to top

1. Submissions must come from publishers, who may enter an unlimited number of titles.

2. To be eligible for the International prize, a book of poetry must be a first-edition collection (i.e. not previously published in any country), written in English, or translated into English, by a poet/translator from any part of the world, including Canada.

3. To be eligible for the Canadian prize, a book of poetry must be a first-edition collection (i.e. not previously published in any country), written in English or translated into English by a Canadian citizen or a permanent resident in Canada.

4. Books must have been published in English during the calendar year preceding the year of the award.

5. Winning the Griffin Poetry Prize (or any other prize) in previous years does not render a poet ineligible for the current year’s prize.

6. Only books of poetry written by authors or translators alive at the date of publication will be considered.

7. Books must be the work of one poet.

8. Selected and collected works are eligible.

9. A book of translations by two translators is eligible if they have collaborated throughout. A collection of translations by various hands is not eligible.

10. A book by a Trustee or current judge is not eligible.

11. No self-published book is eligible.

12. The judges’ decision as to a book’s eligibility is binding.

13. All books must carry an ISBN.

14. A book is defined as having at least forty-eight pages.

Back to top

1. A book which is entered for the Griffin Poetry Prize will not qualify for the award unless the publisher agrees:
   • To prepare and encourage its nominated poet(s) to participate in all reasonable publicity associated with the Griffin Poetry Prize;
   • To sticker copies of the winning book with the Griffin Poetry Prize seals (to be provided by the Griffin Poetry Prize);
   • To secure the prior written approval of The Griffin Trust For Excellence In Poetry with respect to art work, when including facsimiles of the Griffin Poetry Prize seal on all reprints of the winning book(s); and
   • To comply with Rule 6(g).

2. Poets and publishers agree to permit The Griffin Trust For Excellence In Poetry to include selections from short-listed works in a Griffin Poetry Prize Anthology. A one-time permission fee of C$200 will be paid to each originating publisher of the short-listed books. Proceeds will be donated to a literary cause.

Back to top

1. Publishers may submit any number of titles, each published (or scheduled for publication) before the annual deadline of December 31st, for delivery by no later than January 10th.

2. Submissions postmarked after December 31 of each year will not be eligible.

3. The Griffin Poetry Prize may at any time call in a book which has not been submitted. In that event, the publisher will be required to forward an entry form along with four copies of the book to the Griffin Poetry Prize, and to comply with all other rules and regulations.

4. The Griffin Poetry Prize will acknowledge receipt of submissions.

5. No books will be returned to publishers.

6. Four copies of each book must be submitted to:

   Mrs. Ruth Smith
   Manager
   The Griffin Trust For Excellence In Poetry
   6610 Edwards Boulevard
   Mississauga, Ontario L5T 2V6
   Canada

7. Each submission must include an Entry Form along with any available press material, including a current biography and photograph of the author and/or translator. (Preferred photograph formats are 8.5x11 black and white print or high resolution [300 dpi or greater] TIFF or JPEG file.)

Back to top

1. A short list of finalists will be announced in March or April of each year. National and international publicity, promoting the short-listed poets and the Griffin Poetry Prize, will begin at that announcement and continue until after the winners are declared.

2. It is expected that short-listed poets will participate in reading their poetry at a public event and will attend the awards ceremony.

3. The readings and the awards evening of the Griffin Poetry Prize will take place in Canada over two days in May or June of each year.

4. The Griffin Poetry Prize will bear the cost of travel and overnight accommodation for authors who live outside Toronto, Canada.

5. The judges will select the short list and the winners in private deliberations. Publishers will receive no advance notice of the short-listed nominees or the winners.

Back to top

All enquiries should be directed to:

Mrs. Ruth Smith
Manager
The Griffin Trust For Excellence In Poetry
6610 Edwards Boulevard
Mississauga, ON L5T 2V6
Canada

Telephone: (905) 565 5993
Fax: (905) 564 3645
E-mail: info@griffinpoetryprize.com

Click below to download
griffin-prize-rules.pdf (~170K)

Back to top