JC opposed to the Griffin Poetry Prize elimination of a Canadian category

The GLOBE AND MAIL published JC’s letter to the Editor on September 13. She noted that the paper chose to include several letters pro the merger of the prize categories from two into a single English category and only one letter con, hers.

Here’s the link to the Letters page. The text, as published, follows below.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/opinion/letters/article-i-hope-that-those-who-voted-for-pierre-poilievre-will-enjoy-a

I am a longtime fan of the Griffin Poetry Prize’s Canadian and international categories. To posit that Canadians are up to competing with every poet writing in or translated into English seems more smokescreen than credible rationale for a single category.

It suggests to me that the prize process to date has coddled Canadian poets, which does them a great disservice. Their achievements in even getting published, within our country’s climate of diminishing publishing houses, restrictive retailers and flavours of the month, should be celebrated and championed at every opportunity.

I regret this decision to build up an already generous prize so that, in the end, the prize itself wins more profile on the international stage.

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