Forward Prize 2016

Congratulations are in order this morning as the shortlists for the Forward Prize 2016 are up with Wife by Tiphanie Yanique (Peepal Tree Press) nominated for The Felix Dennis Prize for Best First Collection. 

Both Melissa Lee-Houghton and Sasha Dugdale are on the shortlist for Best Single Poem too. 

This year’s judging panel is chaired by Malika Booker, writer, spoken word artist and Inpress Board member. Also on the panel are poets George Szirtes and Liz Berry, with singer/songwriter Tracey Thorn and Don Share, editor of Poetry magazine. The prizes will be awarded on 20 September 2016 at the Royal Festival Hall.

Here's the full list of nominations:

The Forward Prize for Best Collection Shortlist (£15,000)
Vahni Capildeo – Measures of Expatriation (Carcanet)
Ian Duhig – The Blind Roadmaker (Picador Poetry)
Choman Hardi – Considering the Women (Bloodaxe Books)
Alice Oswald – Falling Awake (Cape Poetry)
Denise Riley – Say Something Back (Picador Poetry)

The Felix Dennis Prize for Best First Collection Shortlist (£5,000)
Nancy Campbell – Disko Bay (Enitharmon Press)
Ron Carey – Distance (Revival Press)
Harry Giles – Tonguit (Freight Books)
Ruby Robinson – Every Little Sound (Liverpool University Press)
Tiphanie Yanique – Wife (Peepal Tree Press)

The Forward Prize for Best Single Poem Shortlist (£1,000)
Sasha Dugdale – ‘Joy’ (PN Review)
David Harsent – ‘from Salt’ (Poetry London)
Solmaz Sharif – ‘Force Visibility’ (Granta Magazine)
Melissa Lee-Houghton – ‘i am very precious’ (Prac Crit)
Rachel Hadas – ‘Roosevelt Hospital Blues’ (Times Literary Supplement)