Congratulations to Sandra Ridley and Gary Barwin

who split this year's bpNichol Chapbook Award. Both Sandra and Gary have Ottawa connections in that Sandra is an Ottawa resident and Gary has family here.

The winning chapbooks were Sandra Ridley's Lift: Ghazals for C., Jack Pine Press and Gary Barwin's Inverting the Deer, serifofnottingham.

The award is sponsored by the Phoenix Community Works Foundation. The Chapbook Award was established in 1984, under the guidance of noted Canadian poet bpNichol who was also one of the founding members of PCWF. The award was created in order to inspire, encourage and support Canadian poets and the smaller Canadian presses that publish chapbooks. In 1988, after the tragic death of bpNichol, the award was renamed in memory of the prolific writer and performer. This year, $2000 is awarded to the best poetry chapbook written in English, published in Canada [in this case, the award is split between the two recipients.]

Congratulations to Sandra and Gary and to those shortlisted: John Barlow, Andrew Faulkner and Daphne Marlatt. Further info at Phoenix Community Works Foundation and bpNichol.ca.

Thanks to the Phoenix Community Works Foundation for encouraging and supporting the publication of chapbooks and thanks to the small press industry for bravely continuing to publish and disseminate engaging and original voices.