English PEN, in collaboration with Irish PEN/PEN na hÉireann and the Estate of Seamus Heaney, has announced the launch of the inaugural PEN Heaney Prize.
According to englishpen.org, this prestigious award aims to recognise outstanding poetry that engages with the impact of cultural or political events on human conditions or relationships.
The PEN Heaney Prize, named in honour of the iconic poet Seamus Heaney, will be awarded annually to a single volume of poetry by one author published in the UK or Ireland. The prize seeks to celebrate poetry that demonstrates exceptional literary merit while also addressing pressing social issues.
Judged by esteemed poets Nick Laird, Paula Meehan and Shazea Quraishi, along with Catherine Heaney representing the Estate of Seamus Heaney, the prize aims to uphold Heaney’s legacy of using poetry as a medium for social engagement and commentary.
In a world where the need for art that reflects and interrogates the complexities of contemporary society has never been more urgent, the PEN Heaney Prize offers a platform to celebrate poetry’s power to illuminate and respond to the world around us.
Submissions are now open to publishers from the UK and Ireland, with the deadline set for June 3, 2024. The winner, to be announced in November 2024, will receive a prize of £5,000, with an additional £5,000 awarded to the translator(s) if the winning volume is translated from another language.