Sina Queyras and Adam Sol (photo: Hudson Hayden)

The League of Canadian Poets has announced the shortlists for its annual Raymond Souster Award for a book of poetry by a league member, Gerald Lampert Memorial Award for a first book of poetry by a Canadian, and Pat Lowther Memorial Award for a book of poetry by a Canadian woman. Each award recognizes a title published the year prior and offers a cash prize of $1,000.

The shortlists are as follows:

Raymond Souster Award

• Catherine Kidd, Hyena Subpoena (Popolo Press/Wired on Words)
• Patrick Lane, Washita (Harbour Publishing)
• Susan Paddon, Two Tragedies in 429 Breaths (Brick Books)
• Laisha Rosnau, Pluck (Nightwood Editions)
• Adam Sol, Complicity (McClelland & Stewart)
• Rachel Zolf, Janey’s Arcadia (Coach House Books)

Gerald Lampert Memorial Award

• Kayla Czaga, For Your Safety Please Hold On (Nightwood)
• Sylvia D. Hamilton, And I Alone Escaped to Tell You (Gaspereau Press)
• Stevie Howell, ^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ ^^^^^^ [Sharps] (Goose Lane Editions)
• Kerry-Lee Powell, Inheritance (Biblioasis)
• Suzannah Showler, Failure to Thrive (ECW Press)
• Anne-Marie Turza, The Quiet (House of Anansi Press)

Pat Lowther Memorial Award

• Joanne Arnott, Halfling Spring: an internet romance (Kegedonce Press)
• Jen Currin, School (Coach House)
• Judy Halebsky, Tree Line (New Issues Poetry & Prose)
• Jude Neale, A Quiet Coming of Light (Leaf Press)
• Sina Queyras, M x T (Coach House)
• Lisa Robertson, Cinema of the Present (Coach House)

The league also revealed the winner of the Sheri-D Wilson Golden Beret Award, which honours a Canadian spoken-word artist, in co-operation with the Calgary Spoken Word Society. Inaugural London, Ontario, poet laureate and Queen Elizabeth 11 Diamond Jubilee medal for service to the arts winner Penn Kemp will receive the $1,000 prize alongside the other award winners at the LCP Annual Poetry Festival and Conference in Winnipeg on May 30.