2008 Aqua Books Lansdowne Prize for Poetry/prix Lansdowne de poésie Winner

Wolf Tree by Alison Calder, published by Coteau Books

Alison Calder was born in London, England, grew up in Saskatoon, and lived in London, Ontario and Vancouver before moving to Winnipeg. She has edited several scholarly collections, including an edition of Tim Lilburn's poetry, and a poetry chapbook that she co- authored with Jeanette Lynes. In 2004 she won the Bronwen Wallace Award for poetry. Her award-winning first collection of poetry, Wolf Tree, is also finalist for the Gerald Lampert Award for best first poetry book by a Canadian, and for the Pat Lowther Award for best poetry book by a Canadian woman. She teaches Canadian literature and creative writing at the University of Manitoba.

Wolf Tree (Coteau Books, 2007)

A wolf tree is a tree in a bush or a thicket which is different in shape from those around it; a tree whose broader trunk and spreading branches indicate that it once grew alone but is now surrounded.

Alison Calder’s poems shine the light of a poet’s curiosity on all manner of “natural occurrences,” which nevertheless stand out. The book opens with an examination of the extreme forms this nature may take – from the Dutch legend of the false child Sooterkin, to two-headed calves, Zip the Pinhead, and other medical curiosities, particularly those captured by 19th century photographic techniques.

The disquieting feelings created by these subjects persist, causing the reader to proceed watchfully, even when the poet’s attention switches to more common themes and images – plastic clotheslines, wildflowers of western Canada, snow geese, the Porta Nigra in Trier, Germany.

The other talented nominees were:

heures d'ouverture by Charles Leblanc, published by Les Éditions du Blé
Exaucée by Christian Violy, published by Les Éditions des Plaines

Né à Montréal où il a grandi, Charles Leblanc a passé plus de la moitié de sa vie à Winnipeg. La traduction lui permet de manger, le théâtre et la poésie lui permettent de vivre. Il a co-publié un récit, Voyages en papier, et publié six recueils de poèmes aux Éditions du Blé, dont l'appétit du compteur, qui a remporté le Prix littéraire Rue-Deschambault en 2005, et le tout dernier, heures d'ouverture (2007).

Poète Christian Violy a fait ses études à l'Université Laval (Québec), où il a obtenu un baccalauréat en littérature d'expression française en 1996 et une maîtrise en littérature québécoise en 1999. Il a remporté l'un des Grands Prix des saisons littéraires (catégorie essai) par Guérin éditeur en 1996 pour une œuvre intitulée Du rire à l'enchantement – d'après l'œuvre de Francis Jammes. Il est également l'auteur de Les silences immobiles (2000), Avant la chute (2002) et Exaucée (2007), recueils de poésie publiés au Éditions des Plaines.

Brave New Words: the Manitoba Writing and Publishing Awards are co-produced by the Manitoba Writers' Guild and the Association of Manitoba Book Publishers. See the complete list of 2008 winners here.

For the 2009 Aqua Lansdowne shortlist, click here.

For more information on the Aqua Books Lansdowne Prize for Poetry/prix Lansdowne de poésie, click here.

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