The Gerald Lampert Memorial Award is an annual literary award presented by the League of Canadian Poets to the best volume of poetry published by a first-time poet. It is presented in honour of poetry promoter Gerald Lampert. Each winner receives an honorarium of $1000.
In its earliest years, the award was not necessarily limited to poetry, but was presented to the year's best first book by a Canadian writer in either poetry or prose."Columnist wins award". The Globe and Mail, April 15, 1982.
Winners and nominees
1980s +Gerald Lampert Award winners and nomineesYearPoetTitleResultRef.1981Winner1982WinnerSchielberWinner1983Matinee LightWinner1984Gone to GrassWinner "Storytellers". Regina Leader-Post, May 28, 1984.Night TravellersWinner1985Celestial NavigationWinnerPatricia Lakes, "Nelson poet said to be winner of book award". Vancouver Sun, June 6, 1985.1986Raspberry VinegarWinnerBurt Heward, "Cover to cover". Ottawa Citizen, May 3, 1986.1987Winner"Sullivan honored for poetry book". The Globe and Mail, May 9, 1987.1988Questions I Asked My MotherWinnerH.J. Kirchhoff, "Four writers honored by authors' group". The Globe and Mail, June 1, 1988.If Summer Had a Knife Shortlist "Allison, MacEwen make short list for poetry award". The Globe and Mail, April 27, 1988. Future Rivers1989Journey to YaltaWinner"Notes to you..." Edmonton Journal, May 13, 1989.
1990s YearPoetTitleResultRef. 1990Stalin's CarnivalWinner "Notes to you...". Edmonton Journal, June 2, 1990.Maria Breaks Her Silence Shortlist "City poet in line for Lampert prize". Edmonton Journal, April 19, 1990.The Open RoomBatocheCold Rubber Feet1991Radiant Life FormsWinner"League awards poets". Edmonton Journal, June 2, 1991. Shortlist "Brand, Brewster nominated for award". The Globe and Mail, May 4, 1991.Impromptu Feats of BalanceDiary of a Glass Blower in Solitude1992Wiles of GirlhoodWinnerBurt Heward, "Ottawa poet wins national contest". Ottawa Citizen, May 23, 1992.1993Fortress of ChairsWinner "Novice poets share national prize". Ottawa Citizen, June 5, 1993.Eyes Like PigeonsWinner1994Winner"Winners". Saskatoon Star-Phoenix, July 2, 1994.Mad Magellan's TaleWinner1995Dementia AmericanaWinner"Beth Goobie wins poetry award". Montreal Gazette, June 26, 1995. 1996Rough SkinWinner "Canadian poets' league presents awards". Ottawa Citizen, June 7, 1996. Asphalt Cigar Shortlist "Atwood nominated for prize". The Globe and Mail, May 8, 1996. Carrying Place A Thousand Homes Solstice on the Anacortes Ferry 1997Winner Calm Jazz Sea Shortlist "7 writers win prizes". The Globe and Mail, May 9, 1997. Fear of the Ride The Unhinging of Wings Climate and the Affections Clay Birds Shadow Cabinet God on His Haunches 1998Winner Christopher Levenson, "Poetry took the fall". Ottawa Citizen, April 6, 1998. Hard Candy Shortlist "Two Montrealers in running for poetry prizes". Montreal Gazette, April 6, 1998. Towards the Quest The Man With the Dancing Monkey The New World1999White Stone: The Alice PoemsWinner Gordon Morash, "Edmonton poets shut out; Their absence from the podium shocks contest organizers". Edmonton Journal, June 13, 1999.
2000s YearPoetTitleResultRef.2000All the God-Sized FruitWinner"Spalding wins poetry award". The Globe and Mail, June 6, 2000.Shortlist "The lists are in: Prizes, prizes and more prizes". Vancouver Sun, April 8, 2000. Storm StillShortlist Giving My Body to ScienceShortlist Shortlist2001Light Falls Through YouWinner2002Into the Early HoursWinner Alexandra Gill, "A little the verse for wear". The Globe and Mail, January 1, 2003.2003Nail Builders Plan for Strength and GrowthWinner "Dionne Brand wins Pat Lowther Award". The Globe and Mail, May 27, 2003. Science Fiction SaintShortlist Rebecca Wigod, "The book of Elise: A poet who hung on Robert Lowell's every word marshals her own". Vancouver Sun, April 19, 2003. Rural Night CatalogueShortlist what the auntys sayShortlist Instruments of SurrenderShortlist2004ReconciliationWinner"Poets not afraid to self-promote". Montreal Gazette, April 17, 2004. BonfiresShortlist "Poets shortlist announced". Kingston Whig-Standard, April 17, 2004.Shortlist Question & AnswerShortlist WaywardShortlist2005AnthropyWinnerJohn Moore, "Award winners follow B.C. publisher White". Vancouver Sun, February 18, 2006. PostscriptShortlist "Shortlists unveiled for Lowther, Lampert prizes". The Globe and Mail, April 21, 2005. Little HorseShortlist Monk's FruitShortlist Lean DaysShortlist2006Past ImperfectWinner"Poets enter League of their own". Ottawa Citizen, June 11, 2006.2007Anatomy of KeysWinner"Calder beat out for top poetry prizes". Winnipeg Free Press, June 23, 2008.2008Making Bones WalkWinner Radius of LightShortlist "Shortlisted for poetry prizes". The Globe and Mail, April 2, 2008. Wolf TreeShortlist Contrary InfatuationsShortlist Ride Backwards on DragonShortlist Shortlist2009what if red ran outWinner"Winners of the the Path Lowther and Gerald Lampert Memorial Awards Announced" . Open Book Toronto, June 15, 2009. Evening LandShortlist Crabwise to the HoundsShortlist FondShortlist Shortlist Late Nights With Wild CowboysShortlist
2010s YearPoetTitleResultRef.2010Gun DogsWinner Shortlist "The shortlists for the Pat Lowther and Gerald Lampert Memorial Awards announced". McNally Robinson, April 7, 2010. Soft WhereShortlist Poems for the Advisory Committee on Antarctic NamesShortlist InventoryShortlist Something Burned Along the Southern BorderShortlist2011Winner Tracy Sherlock, "Anna Swanson; Debut collection proves doubly lucky for 'Lesbian Poet'"]. Kamloops Daily News, August 13, 2011. Shortlist That Other BeautyShortlist Tiny, Frantic, StrongerShortlist[sic]Shortlist Here Is Where We DisembarkShortlist2012Sweet DevilryWinner Merilyn Simonds, "Finding poetry in Facebook". Kingston Whig-Standard, November 20, 2013. TrueShortlist YesShortlist ParamitaShortlist Do Not Call Me By My NameShortlist GulfShortlist2013Notebook MWinnerMaria Siassina, "League of Canadian Poets announce award winners". Quill & Quire, June 13, 2013.Charms Against LightningShortlist I see my love more clearly from a distanceShortlist Shortlist Sumptuary LawsShortlist RepeaterShortlist2014Winner Shortlist RoveShortlist Light LightShortlist Surge NarrowsShortlist IncarnateShortlist2015For Your Safety Please Hold OnWinner And I Alone Escaped to Tell YouShortlist SharpsShortlist InheritanceShortlist Failure to ThriveShortlist Shortlist2016OtterWinner RueShortlist Laws & LocksShortlist Transmitter and ReceiverShortlist Hacker PackerShortlist MockingbirdShortlist2017This BeingWinner Assdeep in WonderShortlist Shortlist PlayersShortlist Shortlist Songs of ExileShortlist2018OtolithWinner This Wound is a WorldShortlist FaunicsShortlist Thin Air of the KnowableShortlist Shortlist Admission RequirementsShortlist2019Obits.Winner QuarryShortlist Unstable Neighbourhood RabbitShortlist Dividing the WaysideShortlist EkkeShortlist Port of BeingShortlist
2020s YearPoetTitleResultRef.2020Float and ScurryWinner Doubter's HymnalShortlist What to Wear While Surviving a Lion AttackShortlist 77 Fragments of a Familiar RuinShortlist Re-Origin of SpeciesShortlist these are not the potatoes of my youthShortlist2021Winner Shortlist I Am Still Your NegroShortlist Where Things TouchShortlist BonesShortlist BittersweetShortlist2022Qorbanot: OfferingsWinner Undoing HoursShortlist Dream of No One but Myself Creeland I will be more myself in the next world Mouthfuls of Space Intruder2023Whitemud WalkingWinner"Matthew James Weigel, Gillian Sze, Adebe DeRango-Adem win League of Canadian Poets book awards". Quill & Quire, May 4, 2023.MonumentShortlist Cassandra Drudi, "League of Canadian Poets announces 2023 Book Awards shortlists". Quill & Quire, April 20, 2023.Transcribing MoonlightOrion SweepingShapeshiftersMy Grief, the Sun2024 Xanax Cowboy Winner "Hannah Green, Sandra Ridley and Bradley Peters win League of Canadian Poets prizes". CBC Books, May 1, 2024. Wires That Sputter Shortlist Cassandra Drudi, "Shortlists announced for 2024 LCP Book Awards". Quill & Quire, April 17, 2024. The All + Flesh Chores Archipelago More Sure2025 Dayo Winner "Marc Perez, Bren Simmers and Chimwemwe Undi win 2025 League of Canadian Poets prizes". CBC Books, May 20, 2025. The Seventh Town of Ghosts Shortlist Cassandra Drudi, "Shortlists announced for 2025 LCP Book Awards". Quill & Quire, May 7, 2025. Blood Belies Aqueous Precedented Parroting Scientific Marvel
References
External links League of Canadian Poets