Prizes
Several prizes are awarded annually for the best work printed in Poetry during the preceding year. Only poems already published in the magazine are eligible for consideration, and no formal application is necessary. The winners are announced in the November issue. Following the prize descriptions is a complete list of past prizewinners.
The Poetry Foundation also administers the Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize and the Ruth Lilly Poetry Fellowships.
The Levinson Prize, presented annually since 1914 through the generosity of the late Salmon O. Levinson and his family, and now permanently endowed, for the sum of five hundred dollars, is awarded to Frederick Seidel for his poem in the April 2008 issue.
The Bess Hokin Prize, established in 1948 through the generosity of our late friend and guarantor, Mrs. David Hokin, and given annually in her memory, for the sum of one thousand dollars, is awarded to George Szirtes for his poems in the February 2008 issue.
The Frederick Bock Prize, founded in 1981 by friends in memory of the former associate editor of Poetry, for the sum of five hundred dollars, is awarded to Rae Armantrout for her poems in the November 2007 and June 2008 issues.
The J. Howard and Barbara M.J. Wood Prize, endowed since 1994 through the generosity of Mrs. Wood, in the sum of five thousand dollars, is awarded to Seth Abramson for his poems in the May 2008 issue.
The John Frederick Nims Memorial Prize for Translation. Bonnie Larkin Nims, trustees of the Poetry Foundation, and friends of the late poet, translator, and editor of Poetry, in the amount of five hundred dollars, is awarded to Philip Nikolayev for his translations from Samuel Beckett in the February 2008 issue.
The Friends of Literature Prize, established in 2002 by the Friends of Literature, founded in Chicago in 1934 to study literature and to honor those who create it, in the amount of five hundred dollars, is awarded to Leila Wilson for her poems in the September 2008 issue.
The Editors Prize for Feature Article, established in 2005 by the Poetry Foundation, in the amount of one thousand dollars, is awarded to Vivian Gornick for her essay in the July/August 2008 issue.
The Editors Prize for Reviewing, established in 2004 by the Poetry Foundation, in the amount of one thousand dollars, is awarded to Ange Mlinko for her reviews in the October 2007 and January 2008 issues.
Prizes are for poems and prose published during the past twelve months in Volumes 191 and 192, October 2007 through September 2008.
Past Winners by Prize and Year
The Levinson Prize has been presented annually since 1914 through the generosity of the late Salmon O. Levinson and his family, and is now permanently endowed. Past winners include:
|
Carl Sandburg 1914 |
Dylan Thomas 1945 |
Judith Moffett 1976 |
The Bess Hokin Prize was established in 1947 through the generosity of our late friend and guarantor, Mrs. David Hokin, and is given annually in her memory. Past winners include:
|
William Abrahams 1948 |
Michael Benedikt 1968 |
Ralph Angel 1987 |
The Frederick Bock Prize was founded in 1981 by friends of the late former Associate Editor of Poetry. Past winners include:
|
John N. Morris 1981 |
J. Allyn Rosser 1989 |
Andrew Hudgins 1997 |
The Union League Civic and Arts Poetry Prize for a young poet was presented annually from 1951 to 1972, and re-established in 1993 to 2006, through the generosity of the Union League Civic & Arts Foundation. Past winners include:
|
Horace Gregory 1951 |
William Jay Smith 1963 |
Neal Bowers 1995 |
The J. Howard and Barbara M. J. Wood Prize is presented annually and endowed since 1994 through the generosity of Mrs. Wood. Past winners include:
|
Rebecca McClanahan 1994 |
Robert Wrigley 1998 |
Stephen Dobyns 2002 |
The John Frederick Nims Memorial Prize for translation work is permanently endowed through a fund established by Bonnie Larkin Nims, Trustees of The Poetry Foundation, and friends of the late poet, translator, and Editor of Poetry. Past winners include:
Rita Dove and Fred Viebahn 1999
Andrew Shields 2000
Marilyn Hacker 2001
Eavan Boland 2002
Reginald Gibbons and Charles Segal 2003
Sherod Santos 2004
Clare Cavanagh 2005
Geoffrey Brock 2006
Michael Hofmann 2007
The Friends of Literature Prize was established in 2002 by The Friends of Literature, founded in Chicago in 1934 to study literature and to honor those who create it. Past winners include:
Gregory Djanikian 2002
Susan Kinsolving 2003
Ralph Sneeden 2004
Nance Van Winckel 2005
Dana Levin 2006
Todd Hearon 2007
The Editors Prize for Criticism was established in 2004 by the Poetry Foundation.
Michael Hofmann 2004
Editors Prize for Feature Article was established in 2005 by the Poetry Foundation.
Mary Kinzie 2005
Tony Hoagland 2006
Clive James 2007
Editors Prize for Book Reviewing was established in 2005 by the Poetry Foundation.
D.H. Tracy 2005
David Orr 2006
Brian Phillips 2007
