Forward Prize: On the top row are 2024 shortlistees in the collection category, and on the lower row, shortlistees in the Felix Dennis Prize shorlist for a first collection
By Porter Anderson, Editor-in-Chief | @Porter_Anderson
Winners’ Announcement: October 10
A feature each year of the summertime book and publishing contests on the international stage, the United Kingdom and Ireland’s Forward Prizes for Poetry, has today (July 17) announced this year’s quartet of categories, each with five shortlistees.
Actor, presenter, and poet Craig Charles is this year’s chair of jurors, joined by poets and writers Alycia Pirmohamed, Vanessa Kisuule, Daniel Sluman and Jane Clarke.
This year’s winners will be announced at a ceremony taking place at Durham Book Festival on October 10.
Forward Prizes Shortlist: Collection
This category’s purse is set at £10,000 (US$13,006).
- God Complex by Rachael Allen, Faber
- With My Back to the World by Victoria Chang, Corsair
- Goodlord by Ella Frears, Rough Trade Books
- […] by Fady Joudah, Outspoken Press
- Strike by Sarah Wimbush, Stairwell Books
Felix Dennis Prize Shortlist: First Collection
This category’s purse is set at £5,000 (US$6,502).
-
I cannot be good until you say it by Sanah Ahsan, Bloomsbury
-
Inheritance by Jasmine Cooray, Bad Betty Press
-
Food for the Dead by Charlotte Shevchenko Knight, Penguin Random House / Jonathan Cape
-
The Wrong Person to Ask by Marjorie Lotfi, Bloodaxe
-
American Anthem by Kelly Michels, Gallery Press
Forward Prizes Shortlist: Single Poem, Written
This category’s purse is set at £1,000 (US$1,300).
-
‘On hearing the seismologist say there could be an 8.5R earthquake near Athens’ by Vasiliki Albedo
-
A Craft Talk on the Praxis of an August Evening’ by Derek Chan
-
‘Ward of One’ by Cindy Juyong Ok
-
‘I Wanted To Show You A Donkey’ by Lisa Kelly
-
‘the only other dark skinned girl’ by Tife Kusoro
Forward Prizes Shortlist: Single Poem, Performed
This category’s purse is set at £1,000 (US$1,300).
-
‘ghazal, screaming’ by Toby Campion
-
‘Nearly White Girl Girling on Behalf of Proximity to Mammal’ by Eve Esfandiari-Denney
-
‘Dear John Berger’ by Leyla Josephine
-
‘Choose Your Own Adventure’ by Nasim Rebecca Asl
-
‘What Grief Feels Like to Me’ by Michael Pedersen
Jury chair Charles, in a prepared statement on today’s announcement, says, “My favorite part of this process was getting to spend intensive time with these fresh voices and my fellow judges–all professional poets.
“I especially love getting to showcase the vibrant spoken word scene I love so much.”
More from Publishing Perspectives on the Forward Prizes is here, more on international book and publishing awards is here, more on poetry is here, and more on the United Kingdom’s market is here.