The preliminary list for the 2023 Radio-Canada Poetry Prize is now known. Of the almost 1,000 texts submitted this year, only 24 were selected by the reading committee, from which the jury must decide. Here you are.
The preliminary list for the Radio-Canada Poetry Prize
(Click on each title to learn more about the author and read an excerpt from his text.)
A rigorous evaluation process
The texts are evaluated in two stages: firstly, a selection committee made up of readers selects the best works and secondly, the selected poems are presented to a jury consisting of three literary personalities.
This year the shortlist was made by four distinguished readers: Nelly Desmarais, Jean-Pierre Gorkynian, Amber O’Reilly and Marie-Hélène Racine. The quartet spared no effort in selecting these 24 poems or poetic suites from almost 1,000 texts received.
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Nelly Desmarais is a member of the reading committee for the 2023 Poetry Prize.
Photo: Le Quartanier Justine Latour
Nelly Desmarais grew up in Montérégie and now lives in the Hochelaga-Maisonneuve district of Montreal. As a doctoral student in literature at the University of Quebec in Montreal, she worked in publishing for more than ten years. Before she became a reader, she was on the other side of the mirror. In fact, his poems have been selected for the Radio-Canada Poetry Prize twice: in 2017 for N’y voir and in 2018 for Coudées. His first collection, Marche à voix basse, was awarded the Émile Nelligan Prize in spring 2023, which honors young poets under 35.
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Jean-Pierre Gorkynian is a member of the reading committee for the 2023 Poetry Prize.
Photo: Frédérique Ménard-Aubin
The Montreal writer and screenwriter of Syrian origin, Jean-Pierre Gorkynian, was already a member of the reading committee for the 2021 Short Story Prize. In 2015, he published his first novel, Rescapé (VLB), which earned him a finalist place for the Archambault Literary Grand Prize and the Chambéry First Novel Prize. His second novel, Shooter, published in 2021, was a finalist for the College Literary Prize. We follow the search for validation of Shams, a teenage survivor of the war in Syria as he experiences his first winter in Montreal. Jean-Pierre Gorkynian also publishes poems in the magazine Pavillons.
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Amber O’Reilly is one of the 2023 Poetry Prize Readers.
Photo: Maxime Côté
Amber O’Reilly was born in Yellowknife, where she lived until she was 16. Her artistic career is diverse. She is a poet, slammer, playwright, screenwriter, researcher and event presenter. Her first volume of poetry, Boussole franche, received the Rue-Deschambault Literary Prize 2021. In addition to her passion for poetry, she also writes for the theater. His play Annie and Tom from Monday to Friday was published by Éditions du Blé in Winnipeg in 2023. His texts can be read in several magazines, including Lettres québécoises.
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Marie-Hélène Racine is part of the reading committee for the 2023 Poetry Prize.
Photo: Ariane Labrèche
Marie-Hélène Racine is originally from Montreal and holds a master’s degree in literary creation. She explores a multidisciplinary approach mixing poetry with collage. You can read his texts and admire his works in Tristesse (2021-2022), Mœbius (2023) and Lettres québécoises (2023). His first book, Tohu-bohu, published by Éditions de la maison en feu in 2022, is about violence passed down from one generation to the next. Marie-Hélène Racine is also active in the world of communication and publishing.
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Jonathan Roy, Diane Régimbald and Chloé Sainte-Marie form the jury for the 2023 Radio-Canada Poetry Prize.
Photo: Radio-Canada / David Champagne/Mélanie Saumure/Camille Gladu-Drouin
This year the jury consists of the poets Chloé Sainte-Marie, Jonathan Roy and Diane Régimbald.
the next steps
The names of the five finalists will be announced live from the Montreal Book Fair on November 16 and the winner on November 24 during the radio program Il reste toujours la culture. The preliminary list of English-language authors (CBC Poetry Prize) has also been published and can be viewed on the CBC Books website (new window).
The finalists will win :
- a $1,000 scholarship offered by the Canada Council for the Arts;
- the publication of her text on the Radio-Canada website.
A true springboard for Canadian writers, the Radio-Canada Creation Awards are open to anyone who writes, amateur or professional. Every year they award prizes to the best poems, short stories or unpublished stories that have been submitted to the competition.