Today in our poetry news roundup we take a look at the poet T.E. Brown. We also have an article about the Tagore Research Centre that is currently in the planning stage. In addition, we take a look at one of the nominees for this year’s Griffin Poetry Prize.
Ceremony for T.E. Brown Delayed
The National Poet of the Isle of Man, T.E. Brown, was born on 5th May. He was famous for his poetry which used the Manx dialect to record the contemporary life of the island. He spent much of his life living in Bristol where he taught.
In 1952 a bronze plaque was placed at Glen Falcon in Douglas to commemorate the poet. Every year since, the World Manx Society – who owe the inspiration for their foundation to the poet – have visited the plaque on 5th may and placed a garland of gorse on it.
This year, for the first time in 67 years, the ceremony had to be postponed. It was rescheduled to take place on 6th May instead.
Tagore Research Centre Being Planned
The Ministry for Cultural Affairs in Bangladesh has announced that the government intend to establish the Tagore Research Centre. The centre will be created in order to facilitate research in to the Nobel laureate poet Rabindranath Tagore, his life and his works.
The announcement was made at the inauguration of a photography exhibition on Friday. The exhibition which featured events from the poet’s life took place at the National Art Gallery Auditorium which is located in the Bangladesh Shilpakala Academy. The exhibition had been organised by Bangladesh Events and Archive 71 to mark the 158th birth anniversary of the poet, which falls on 8th May
It is hoped that the Tagore Research Centre will be similar to the Nazrul Institute, and the process of raising the funds to build it is already well underway. The centre, which will be run by the government, will assist researchers, artistes and enthusiasts with their research in to the poet.
Griffin Prize Shortlisted Poet
Dionne Brand, a Trinidadian-Canadian poet and former poet laureate of Toronto, has been announced as one of the shortlisted nominations for the 2019 Griffin Trust Poetry Prize. This is the richest poetry prize in Canada.
The Griffin prize was first awarded in 2001, and is named for the philanthropist and businessman Scott Griffin. It is awarded on an annual basis to two poets, one who is from Canada and the other an international poet who writes their poetry in English. The prize is $75,000, which both winners will receive. The winners of this years prize will be announced on 6th June.
Brand, who is 66, was born in Guayaguayare in Trinidad. I the early 1970’s she emigrated to Canada where she gained her B.A. in history and philosophy at the University of Toronto. She also has an M.A. for Studies in Education which she got in 1989.
A poet and author Brands work is influenced by the themes of race, sexuality, injustice and gender. She is also a social activist and very involved in women issues. She is a former winner of the Griffin prize having won in 2011.
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