We are delighted to announce that the following three poems have been chosen as our winners by Parliamentary Poet Laureate George Elliott Clarke!
Congratulations to the three winning poets, to everyone who made our short and long lists, and thanks so much to all who entered the very first edition of this poetry prize.
The Winner of the 1st Pacific Spirit Poetry Prize
“The Reclamation of the Larches” by Jordan Mounteer – Winlaw, BC
Jordan Mounteer grew up near Nelson, B.C. in the Slocan Valley and his poetry has appeared in numerous Canadian and American publications including Arc, Antigonish Review, Prairie Schooner, Grain, and The Fiddlehead. He’s won or been shortlisted for the CBC Poetry Prize, Malahat’s Open Season Award, Montreal Poetry Contest, CV2’s Young Buck Poetry Contest, subTerrain’s Lush Literary Award, and PRISM international’s Poetry Contest, as well as Pandora Collective’s Poetry Contest and the Kootenay Literary Competition. He’s currently attempting a full-length novel and trying to decide whether to build a house or go back to school.
First Runner-Up
“Toronto Moms Group” by Elizabeth Ross – Toronto, ON
Elizabeth Ross is the author of Kingdom (Palimpsest, 2015), a collection of poems. She lives in Toronto, where she’s at work on a new book of poetry and a series of linked memoirs.
Second Runner-Up
“Chaff” by Laisha Rosnau – Coldstream, BC
Laisha Rosnau is the author of three collections of poetry, including Pluck and Lousy Explorers (Nightwood Editions), as well as the best-selling novel, The Sudden Weight of Snow (McClelland & Stewart). Her work has been published in journals and anthologies internationally, nominated for several awards, and is the recipient of Blue Heron Poetry Prize (2016). Her first collection, Notes on Leaving, won the Acorn-Plantos People’s Poetry Award. Rosnau lives in Coldstream, BC, where she and her family are resident caretakers of a wild bird sanctuary.
Congratulations again to these three wonderful poets! FYI: We’ve just extended the deadline for the Jacob Zilber Prize for Short Fiction to January 31st, 2017, so send us your stories via Submittable!