The King's Gold Medal for Poetry (known as Queen's Gold Medal for Poetry when the monarch is female) is awarded for a book of verse published by someone in any of the Commonwealth realms. Originally the award was open only to British subjects living in the United Kingdom, but in 1985 the scope was extended to include people from the rest of the Commonwealth realms. Recommendations to the King for the award of the Medal are made by a committee of eminent scholars and authors chaired by the Poet Laureate. In recent times, the award has been announced on (the traditional date of) the birthday of William Shakespeare, 23 April. However, Don Paterson was awarded the medal alongside the 2010 New Year Honours.
The Gold Medal for Poetry was instituted by King George V in 1933 at the suggestion of the British royal court's poet laureate, John Masefield.
The obverse of the medal bears the effigy of the King. The idea of the reverse, which was designed by Edmund Dulac, is: "Truth emerging from her well and holding in her right hand the divine flame of inspiration - Beauty is truth and Truth Beauty". The latter part of this description recalls "Beauty is Truth, Truth Beauty", from John Keats's poem "Ode on a Grecian Urn".
Recipients Source: 2025: Michael Laskey 2024: George Szirtes 2023: Mimi Khalvati 2022: Selima Hill 2021: Grace Nichols 2020: David Constantine 2019: Lorna Goodison 2018: Simon Armitage 2017: Paul Muldoon 2016: Gillian Allnutt 2015: Liz Lochhead 2014: Imtiaz Dharker 2013: Douglas Dunn 2012: John Agard 2011: Jo Shapcott 2010: Gillian Clarke 2009: Don Paterson 2007: James Fenton 2006: Fleur Adcock 2004: Hugo Williams 2003: U. A. Fanthorpe 2002: Peter Porter 2001: Michael Longley 2000: Edwin Morgan 1998: Les Murray 1996: Peter Redgrove 1992: Kathleen Raine 1991: Judith Wright 1990: Sorley MacLean 1989: Allen Curnow 1988: Derek Walcott 1986: Norman MacCaig 1981: D. J. Enright 1977: Norman Nicholson 1974: Ted Hughes 1973: John Heath-Stubbs 1971: Stephen Spender 1970: Roy Fuller 1969: Stevie Smith 1968: Robert Graves 1967: Charles Causley 1965: Philip Larkin 1964: R. S. Thomas 1963: William Plomer 1962: Christopher Fry 1960: John Betjeman 1959: Frances Cornford 1957: Siegfried Sassoon 1956: Edmund Blunden 1955: Ruth Pitter 1954: Ralph Hodgson 1953: Arthur Waley 1952: Andrew Young 1940: Michael Thwaites 1937: W. H. Auden 1934: Laurence Whistler
See also English poetry List of Australian literary awards List of British literary awards List of Canadian awards List of New Zealand literary awards List of poetry awards List of years in literature List of years in poetry
References