Claudia Rankine, a poet born in Jamaica whose experimental verse and bracing social commentary have earned her high praise from her peers, has won a US$50,000 prize designed to help her gain more attention from the general public.
Poets & Writers Inc. announced Monday that Rankine has been named the eighth annual winner of the Jackson Poetry Prize, given to “exceptional” poets who deserve to be better known. Prize judges praised Rankine for her “moral vision” and innovative blending of various genres.
Rankine’s books include “The End of the Alphabet,” “Don’t Let Me Be Lonely” and an upcoming collection, “Citizen,” scheduled for release in October. She has also helped edit several anthologies and wrote the play “Provenance of Beauty: A South Bronx Travelogue.”
Poets & Writers, founded in 1970, is a non-profit literary organization with headquarters in New York City.
Source: jamaicaobserver.com
