The Last Poem
13/10/06 18:15 Filed in: Poetry
Among this year’s Forward Prize winners are
Robin Robertson for the excellent
Swithering
and Sean O’Brien – Best Single Poem
for
Fantasia on a Theme of James
Wright
(respectively, my editor and my Doctoral
supervisor – good people to have in a good
mood, I’d say).
Of the latter, the judges said O’Brien’s poem is “as close as it is possible to come to a perfect poem”. I like the idea (The Last Poem, the End of Poetry etc.) – but it seems to be one of those phrases designed to haunt the recipient. Probably deliberately.
The Best First Collection prize went to Tishani Doshi for Countries of the Body (Aark Arts), beating Hallam Poets colleague Tim Turnbull and his excellent Stranded in Sub-Atomica
Of the latter, the judges said O’Brien’s poem is “as close as it is possible to come to a perfect poem”. I like the idea (The Last Poem, the End of Poetry etc.) – but it seems to be one of those phrases designed to haunt the recipient. Probably deliberately.
The Best First Collection prize went to Tishani Doshi for Countries of the Body (Aark Arts), beating Hallam Poets colleague Tim Turnbull and his excellent Stranded in Sub-Atomica
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