We begin the week with a look at the 2022 winning recipient of the Kingsley Tufts award. We also have a short article about the new Boston Youth Poet Laureate, and we take a look at the sale of the rights to all of Leonard Cohen’s songs.
Kingsley Tufts Award 2022
The poet Divya Victor has been named as the recipient of the Kingsley Tufts Award for 2022. Claremont Graduate University, who host the award, confirmed that the poet had been named the winner for her work “Curb” . This is a collection which combines prose, poetry, memoir and also history.
The Kingsley Tufts Award which is thought be the largest in terms of money awarded for a single poetry collection anywhere in the world, is awarded to a poet that is in the midst of their career. They also announced that Torrin A. Greathouse had been awarded the Kate Tufts Discovery Award for 2022. This is an award for someone who is at the beginning of their career. Greathouse’s winning collection was
Victor will receive a cash prize of $100,000 for her collection. Further to this Greenhouse is set to receive $10,000.
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Greathouse has focused on both the self-mythologization and perspectives of a trans woman who is also an individual with disabilities. The collection was described by the judges as confrontational but also as showing us a side to things that is not always seen, those things that we are afraid to confront and that they hope the book will open up many conversations.
The award ceremony will take place on 20th April and the following day both poets will take part in a public reading at the Los Angeles Public Library.
Boston Youth Poet Laureate Named
A high school senior who is 18 years old has been named as the new Youth Poet Laureate for Boston.
In a statement that was issued at the end of last week the mayor of Boston named Anjalequa Leynneyah Verona Birkett as the winner from the three finalists. Birkett will be given a $2000 annual stipend for the role and will also be assisted in the publication of her own poetry collection.
Birkett is hoping to use her time in the position to connect the with the youth of Boston through the arts and poetry, find out what they would like to change and what it is that they feel could be improved in the community.
Leonard Cohen Catalogue Acquired by British Company
Hipgnosis, a British song management company, have confirmed that they have acquired the right to all of the 278 songs and their derivatives that are linked to the poet and songwriter Leonard Cohen. This of course includes Hallelujah, that haunting, iconic anthem – this song alone has been streamed more than 5 billion times and covered over 300 times.
The purchase was made from the heirs of Cohen who died in 2016, however Hipgnosis have not revealed how much they have spent on their acquisition.
The founder of Hipgnosis is himself a Canadian and he is proud to have added the collection of songs by Cohen to his catalogue saying that is was a wonderful day for music, and a serious responsibility.
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