CBC Poetry Prize taps 5 finalists

Five working writers from across Canada are finalists for the CBC Poetry Prize.

The contenders for this year's edition were unveiled in Montreal today. They are:

• Regina-raised, Iowa City-based poet Cassidy McFadzean for On Naming and the Origin of Pity.
• Governor General's Literary Award-winning author and poet Pamela Porter of North Saanich, B.C. for Borealis.
• Toronto and New York-based writer Robin Richardson for Sit How You want, Dear; No One's Looking.
• Winnipeg author and creative writing professor James Scoles for The Trailer.
• New Germany, N.S. poet Alison Smith for Bluegrass Meteorology.

These shortlisted poems can be read on the Canada Writes website, which is also polling the public for its favourite pick of the five.

• CBC Books: Canada Writes

The 2013 CBC Poetry Prize winner will be selected by a three-member jury of writers, comprising Sue Goyette, David McGimpsey and Anne Michaels.

Prize organizers including CBC Books, the Canada Council for the Arts, enRoute magazine and The Banff Centre also revealed five nominees for the corresponding French language prize today, the Prix de poesie.

Each winner one English and one French receives a cash prize of $6,000, a two-week writing residency at The Banff Centre and will see his or her work published in enRoute magazine. The non-winning finalists will each receive $1,000.

The winners will be announced on Monday, Sept. 30.

Previous recipients of the long-running prize include Michael Ondaatje, Carol Shields, Camilla Gibb, Shauna Singh Baldwin and Susan Musgrave.