Andrew Motion and Jorie Graham Shortlisted for TS Eliot Prize

A total of 10 poets have made the shortlist for the £25,000 TS Eliot Prize—the most prestigious UK and Ireland accolade for a poetry collection—which attracted 174 entries across 65 British and Irish publishing houses.

Andrew Motion and Jorie Graham Headline the Contenders

Andrew Motion, who served as the UK poet laureate from 1999 to 2009, is shortlisted for his collection Gravity Archives. In a review for The Guardian, critic Sandeep Parmar wrote that the book showcases Motion’s rooted and resolute eye surveying the mortality of others as well as his own. Motion has authored more than 15 poetry collections, alongside biographies of Philip Larkin and John Keats. Joining him as a heavyweight contender is Jorie Graham, who won the 1996 Pulitzer Prize for poetry for The Dream of the Unified Field. Graham is shortlisted for Killing Spree, marking her second appearance as a finalist after her 2012 nomination for PLACE, a collection that also won the Forward Prize for Best Collection.

Keith Jarrett Bridges Poetry Slams and St Pauls Cathedral

British poet and writer Keith Jarrett joins the shortlist with his second collection, Hide Me Under the Blood and I Shall Be Satisfied, which is concurrently shortlisted for this year’s Forward Prize. Having won poetry slam competitions, Jarrett infuses his writing with a distinct performance background, and his previous creations have even been projected onto St Paul’s Cathedral’s facade. The broader shortlist also spans international and emerging voices, incorporating Canadian poet Sylvia Legris for Sleep Gate and Shara McCallum for her seventh collection, Behold. Imani Mason Jordan provides the sole debut voice on the list with PIVOT, representing an emerging generation of writers breaking into major literary prizes. The remaining finalists comprise Kim Moore with The House of Broken Things, Holly Pester with Cafés, Jana Prikryl with The Channel, and Irish poet Billy Ramsell with Render.

Leontia Flynn Leads Judging Panel Selection

The ten nominated collections were selected by a judging panel chaired by poet Leontia Flynn, alongside fellow poets Ishion Hutchinson and Daisy Lafarge. Flynn highlighted a common thread running through the varied selections, stating Though very different in voice, style and preoccupation, these 10 collections share a determination to meet the challenges faced in difficult times with closer attention to language. Flynn added, Each of these books reminds us why, when nothing else makes much sense, it’s to poetry we turn to reorient ourselves. Formed back in 1993 by the Poetry Book Society, the award was created to celebrate its 40th anniversary while paying tribute to TS Eliot, its founding poet.

Karen Solie Won Last Year's Prize

Last year’s prize was won by Canadian poet Karen Solie for Wellwater.