2016 in poetry

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Nationality words link to articles with information on the nation's poetry or literature (for instance, Irish or France).

Events

January 14 – Egyptian poet Omar Hazek, who was released from prison in September 2015, is prevented from leaving Egypt to receive the 2016 Oxfam Novib/PEN Award for Freedom of Expression.^[1]^[2]
January 26 – Egyptian poet Fatima Naoot is sentenced to three years in prison, found guilty of "contempt of religion." Naoot goes to prison immediately and must appeal from there.^[3]^[4]
American poets Hawona Sullivan Janzen and Clarence White participate in public art project Rondo Family Reunion in Saint Paul, Minnesota.^[5]

Anniversaries

January 25 – the 125th birthday of Osip Mandelstam.^[6]
March 5 – semicentenary of the death of Anna Akhmatova, Russian poet (Requiem)
March 27 – 90th birthday of Frank O'Hara.^[7] (See July 25)
April 24 – centenary of the start of the Easter Rising in Dublin, which inspired W. B. Yeats’s poem "Easter, 1916".
May 21 – 90th birthday of Robert Creeley (d. 2005).
June 7 – semicentenary of the death of Jean Arp, French sculptor, painter and poet, leader in Dadaism
July 11 – semicentenary of the death of Delmore Schwartz, American poet, Bollingen Prize winner and short story writer ("In Dreams Begin Responsibilities")
July 25 – semicentenary of the death of Frank O'Hara, American poet and key member of the New York School of poetry. (See March 27)
August 29 – semicentenary of the death of Melvin Tolson, American poet Modernist poet, educator, columnist, and politician
September 25 – semicentenary of the death of Mina Loy, British-born American artist, poet, Futurist and actor
September 28 – semicentenary of the death of André Breton, French poet, essayist and theorist; the leading exponent of Surrealism in literature

Selection of works published in English

Australia

Canada

Gwen Benaway, Passage
Joe Denham, Regeneration Machine
Steven Heighton, The Waking Comes Late
Susan Holbrook, Throaty Wipes
Garry Thomas Morse, Prairie Harbour
Rachel Rose, Marry & Burn
Gregory Scofield, Witness, I Am

Anthologies in Canada

India

Sudeep Sen, Erotext, Penguin Books, ISBN 978-93-858905-8-1

New Zealand

Tusiata Avia, Fale Aiutu – Spirit House, Victoria University Press, ISBN 9781776560646

Poets in Best New Zealand Poems

These poets wrote the 25 poems selected for Best New Zealand Poems 2015 (guest editor was John Newton, published this year:

United Kingdom

England

Jay Bernard, The Red and Yellow Nothing
Emily Berry, Anne Carson and Sophie Collins, If I'm Scared We Can't Win (Penguin Modern Poets)
Brian Bilston, You Took the Last Bus Home^[8]
Rachael Boast, Void Studies
Vahni Capildeo, Measures of Expatriation (Trinidad-born poet)
Melissa Lee-Houghton, Sunshine
Hollie McNish, Nobody Told Me
Alice Oswald, Falling Awake
Ruth Padel, Tidings – A Christmas Journey
Denise Riley, Say Something Back
Kae Tempest, Let Them Eat Chaos
Rebecca Watts, The Met Office Advises Caution

Northern Ireland

Scotland

Michel Faber, Undying: a love story (Dutch-born writer)

Anthologies in the United Kingdom

Carol Ann Duffy and Gillian Clarke, The Map and the Clock: A Laureates' Choice of the Poetry of Britain and Ireland

Criticism, scholarship and biography in the United Kingdom

United States

Alphabetical listing by author name

Jos Charles, Safe Space (Ahsahta Press)
Matthew and Michael Dickman, Brother (Faber)
Tyehimba Jess, Olio
Ben Lerner, No Art (collection incorporating three previous volumes)
Amanda Lovelace, The Princess Saves Herself in This One
Michael Palmer, The Laughter of the Sphinx (New Directions)
Ocean Vuong, Night Sky With Exit Wounds (Copper Canyon Press)
C. D. Wright. ShallCross (Copper Canyon Press)

Anthologies in the United States

Criticism, scholarship and biography in the United States

J.D. McClatchy. Sweet Theft: A Poet's Commonplace Book
C. D. Wright. The Poet, The Lion, Talking Pictures, El Farolito, A Wedding in St. Roch, The Big Box Store, The Warp in the Mirror, Spring, Midnights, Fire & All (Copper Canyon Press)

Poets in The Best American Poetry 2016

Works published in other languages

French

German

Antony Theodore, Du bist die Seele meins Seins (Ventura Verlag), ISBN 978-39-408533-9-4

Awards and honors by country

Awards announced this year:

International

Struga Poetry Evenings Golden Wreath Laureate : Margaret Atwood

Australia awards and honors

New Zealand awards and honors

Prime Minister's Awards for Literary Achievement:
Montana New Zealand Book Awards (poetry category):

United Kingdom awards and honors

Cholmondeley Award: Maura Dooley, David Morley, Peter Sansom, Iain Sinclair
Costa Award (formerly "Whitbread Awards") for poetry:
- Shortlist: Melissa Lee-Houghton, Sunshine; Alice Oswald, Falling Awake; Denise Riley, Say Something Back; Kae Tempest, Let Them Eat Chaos
English Association's Fellows' Poetry Prizes:
Eric Gregory Award (for a collection of poems by a poet under the age of 30):
Forward Poetry Prize:
- Best Collection:
  - Shortlist: Vahni Capildeo, Measures of Expatriation
- Best First Collection:
  - Shortlist: Tiphanie Yanique, Wife
- Best Poem:
  - Shortlist:
Jerwood Aldeburgh First Collection Prize for poetry:
- Shortlist:
Manchester Poetry Prize:
National Poet of Wales:
National Poetry Competition : Stephen Sexton for The Curfew
T. S. Eliot Prize (United Kingdom and Ireland): Jacob Polley, Jackself
- Shortlist (announced in November 2016): 2016 Short List
The Times / Stephen Spender Prize for Poetry Translation:
Wilfred Owen Poetry Award: Carol Ann Duffy

United States awards and honors

Arab American Book Award (The George Ellenbogen Poetry Award):
- Honorable Mentions:
Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize: Erin Adair-Hodges for Let's All Die Happy^[13]
Anisfield-Wolf Book Award:
Best Translated Book Award (BTBA):
Beatrice Hawley Award from Alice James Books:
Jackson Poetry Prize: Will Alexander (poet)^[14]
- Judges: Elizabeth Alexander, Rae Armantrout, and Terrance Hayes ^[15]
Lambda Literary Award:
- Gay Poetry:
- Lesbian Poetry:
Lenore Marshall Poetry Prize:
Los Angeles Times Book Prize:
- Finalists:
National Book Award for Poetry (NBA):
- NBA Finalists:
- NBA Longlist:
- NBA Judges:
National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry:
The New Criterion Poetry Prize:
Pulitzer Prize for Poetry (United States): to Ozone Journal by Peter Balakian
- Finalists: to Four-Legged Girl by Diane Seuss ; and to Alive: New and Selected Poems by Elizabeth Willis
Wallace Stevens Award:
Whiting Awards:
PEN Award for Poetry in Translation:
PEN Center USA 2016 Poetry Award:
PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry: (Judges: )
Raiziss/de Palchi Translation Award:
Ruth Lilly Poetry Prize:
Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award:
Walt Whitman Prize – – Judge:
Yale Younger Series:

From the Poetry Society of America

Frost Medal:
Shelley Memorial Award:
Writer Magazine/Emily Dickinson Award:
Lyric Poetry Award:
Alice Fay Di Castagnola Award:
Louise Louis/Emily F. Bourne Student Poetry Award:
George Bogin Memorial Award:
Robert H. Winner Memorial Award:
Cecil Hemley Memorial Award:
Norma Farber First Book Award:
Lucille Medwick Memorial Award:
William Carlos Williams Award: (Judge: )
- Finalists for WCW Award:

Conferences and workshops by country

Australia

Canada

Mexico

New Zealand

United Kingdom

United States

Deaths

January – June

Birth years link to the corresponding "[year] in poetry" article:

January 1 – Fazu Aliyeva, 83 (born 1932), Russian Avar poet and journalist
January 6 – Nivaria Tejera, 86 (born 1929), Cuban poet and novelist
January 9 – Zelimkhan Yaqub, 66 (born 1950), Azerbaijani poet
January 12 – C. D. Wright, 67 (born 1949), American poet who was the former poet laureate of Rhode Island and winner of the 2009 International Griffin Poetry Prize^[16]
January 15 – Francisco X. Alarcón, 61 (born 1954), Chicano-American poet who was born in California and grew up in Guadalajara, Mexico^[17]^[18]
January 19 – Laurence Lerner, 90 (born 1925), South African-born English-language poet and academic
February 7 – Andrew Glaze, 90 (born 1920), American poet appointed 11th Poet Laureate of Alabama in 2013
February 8 – Nida Fazli, 77 (born 1938), Indian poet and lyricist^[19]
February 21 – Akbar Ali, 90 (born 1925), Indian Kannada poet^[20]
- Miroslav Nemirov, 54 (born 1961), Russian poet
March 5 – Rafael Squirru, 90 (born 1925), Argentine author, art critic and poet
April 13 – Jock Scot, 63 (born 1952), Scottish performance poet
April 30 – Daniel Berrigan, 94 (born 1921), American Jesuit priest, poet, peace activist and recidivist (one of Catonsville Nine); winner of Lamont Prize for his book of poems Time Without Number
June 4 – Alexander Glezer [ru], 82, Russian poet.^[21]
June 16 – Bill Berkson, 76, American poet and art critic, heart attack.^[22]
June 25 – Adam Small, 79, South African writer and poet, winner of the Hertzog Prize. (born 1936).^[23]
June 30 – Sir Geoffrey Hill, 84, English poet

July – December

July 1 – Yves Bonnefoy, 93, French poet, essayist, translator, and critic (born 1923)^[24]
September 3 – Peter Oresick, 60, American poet (born 1955)
September 4 – Novella Matveyeva, 81, Russian poet and singer-songwriter (born 1934)
October 14 – Brigit Pegeen Kelly, American poet (born 1951)
October 28 – Jolanda Insana, 79, Italian poet and translator, Viareggio Prize recipient^[25]
December 27 – Anthony Cronin, 92, Irish poet (born 1928)
December 30 – Judith Ortiz Cofer, 64, Puerto Rican American poet and educator^[26]
December 31 – David Meltzer, 79, American poet and musician^[27]

References

^ Egyptian Writer Omar Hazek Prevented from Traveling to Receive Freedom of Expression Award – see also 2014 in poetry article Events section for information on Hazek's time in an Egyptian prison.
^ http://www.pen-international.org/01/2016/speech-by-omar-hazek-recipient-of-2016-oxfam-novibpen-award/ Speech by Omar Hazek, recipient of 2016 Oxfam Novib/PEN Award PEN International
^ "Egyptian writer Fatima Naoot sentenced to 3 years in jail for 'contempt of religion' - Politics - Egypt".
^ "Egyptian poet goes on trial accused of contempt of Islam". Reuters. January 28, 2015.
^ "'I'm a poet, not a politician': Hawona Sullivan Janzen on the inspiration for 'Rondo Family Reunion'". MinnPost. November 15, 2018. Retrieved July 11, 2020.
^ Thoughts on Osip Mandelstam's Birthday
^ "Astrology and natal chart of Frank O'Hara, born on 1926/03/27".
^ "You Took the Last Bus Home update". September 7, 2016.
^ Medley, Mark (June 3, 2016). "'This is a debut book – holy crap': Liz Howard takes the $65,000 Griffin Poetry Prize". The Globe and Mail.
^ Medley, Mark (June 3, 2016). "'This is a debut book – holy crap': Liz Howard takes the $65,000 Griffin Poetry Prize". The Globe and Mail.
^ Medley, Mark (June 3, 2016). "'This is a debut book – holy crap': Liz Howard takes the $65,000 Griffin Poetry Prize". The Globe and Mail.
^ "Eden Robinson, Gregory Scofield, Yasuko Thanh among 2016 Writers' Trust Prize winners". CBC Books, November 2. 2016.
^ "Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize". University of Pittsburgh Press. 2017. Archived from the original on September 25, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
^ "Jackson Poetry Prize". February 12, 2008.
^ "Jackson Poetry Prize". February 12, 2008.
^ C.D. Wright, ex-R.I. state poet and MacArthur 'genius grant' winner, dies at 67
^ Francisco X. Alarcón : The Poetry Foundation
^ Adiós, Francisco X. Alarcón 1954–2016
^ Acclaimed Poet-Lyricist Nida Fazli Dies In Mumbai Archived February 15, 2016, at the Wayback Machine
^ Poet Akbar Ali, Known for Limericks, Dies at 91
^ "In Paris died, the Russian poet Alexander Glezer". Archived from the original on August 10, 2016. Retrieved June 20, 2016.
^ Bill Berkson, San Francisco poet, art critic and teacher, dies at 76
^ Another tree has fallen – RIP Adam Small
^ "French poet Yves Bonnefoy dies". BBC News. Archived from the original on May 11, 2023.
^ E' morta la poetessa messinese Jolanda Insana (in Italian) (born 1937)
^ "Judith Ortiz Cofer". November 26, 2021.
^ "David Meltzer". poetryfoundation.org. January 13, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2017.

External links

[1] Egyptian Writer Omar Hazek Prevented from Traveling to Receive Freedom of Expression Award – see also 2014 in poetry article Events section for information on Hazek's time in an Egyptian prison.

[2] ttp://www.pen-international.org/01/2016/speech-by-omar-hazek-recipient-of-2016-oxfam-novibpen-award/ Speech by Omar Hazek, recipient of 2016 Oxfam Novib/PEN Award PEN International

[3] "Egyptian writer Fatima Naoot sentenced to 3 years in jail for 'contempt of religion' - Politics - Egypt".

[4] "Egyptian poet goes on trial accused of contempt of Islam". Reuters. January 28, 2015.

[5] "'I'm a poet, not a politician': Hawona Sullivan Janzen on the inspiration for 'Rondo Family Reunion'". MinnPost. November 15, 2018. Retrieved July 11, 2020.

[6] Thoughts on Osip Mandelstam's Birthday

[7] "Astrology and natal chart of Frank O'Hara, born on 1926/03/27".

[8] "You Took the Last Bus Home update". September 7, 2016.

[9] Medley, Mark (June 3, 2016). "'This is a debut book – holy crap': Liz Howard takes the $65,000 Griffin Poetry Prize". The Globe and Mail.

[10] Medley, Mark (June 3, 2016). "'This is a debut book – holy crap': Liz Howard takes the $65,000 Griffin Poetry Prize". The Globe and Mail.

[11] Medley, Mark (June 3, 2016). "'This is a debut book – holy crap': Liz Howard takes the $65,000 Griffin Poetry Prize". The Globe and Mail.

[12] "Eden Robinson, Gregory Scofield, Yasuko Thanh among 2016 Writers' Trust Prize winners". CBC Books, November 2. 2016.

[13] "Agnes Lynch Starrett Poetry Prize". University of Pittsburgh Press. 2017. Archived from the original on September 25, 2017. Retrieved November 7, 2017.

[14] "Jackson Poetry Prize". February 12, 2008.

[15] "Jackson Poetry Prize". February 12, 2008.

[16] C.D. Wright, ex-R.I. state poet and MacArthur 'genius grant' winner, dies at 67

[17] Francisco X. Alarcón : The Poetry Foundation

[18] Adiós, Francisco X. Alarcón 1954–2016

[19] Acclaimed Poet-Lyricist Nida Fazli Dies In Mumbai Archived February 15, 2016, at the Wayback Machine

[20] Poet Akbar Ali, Known for Limericks, Dies at 91

[21] "In Paris died, the Russian poet Alexander Glezer". Archived from the original on August 10, 2016. Retrieved June 20, 2016.

[22] Bill Berkson, San Francisco poet, art critic and teacher, dies at 76

[23] Another tree has fallen – RIP Adam Small

[24] "French poet Yves Bonnefoy dies". BBC News. Archived from the original on May 11, 2023.

[25] E' morta la poetessa messinese Jolanda Insana (in Italian) (born 1937)

[26] "Judith Ortiz Cofer". November 26, 2021.

[27] "David Meltzer". poetryfoundation.org. January 13, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2017.

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2016 in poetry

Events

Anniversaries

Selection of works published in English

Australia

Canada

Anthologies in Canada

India

New Zealand

Poets in Best New Zealand Poems

United Kingdom

England

Northern Ireland

Scotland

Anthologies in the United Kingdom

Criticism, scholarship and biography in the United Kingdom

United States

Anthologies in the United States

Criticism, scholarship and biography in the United States

Poets in The Best American Poetry 2016

Works published in other languages

French

German

Awards and honors by country

International

Australia awards and honors

Canada awards and honors

France awards and honors

India awards and honors

New Zealand awards and honors

United Kingdom awards and honors

United States awards and honors

From the Poetry Society of America

Conferences and workshops by country

Australia

Canada

Mexico

New Zealand

United Kingdom

United States

Deaths

January – June

July – December

See also

References

External links