The J.M. Abraham Poetry Award, formerly known as the Atlantic Poetry Prize, is a Canadian literary award, presented annually by the Atlantic Book Awards & Festival, to the best work of poetry published by a writer from the Atlantic provinces. The winner receives $2,000 and finalists receive $250 each.
The award was established in 1998 as the Atlantic Poetry Prize and was renamed in 2014 to honor Father Joseph Murray Abraham.
Winners and nominees
1990s YearPoetTitleRef. 1998 To the New World"Trio of literary awards". Halifax Daily News, May 15, 1998. Carole Glasser Langille In Cannon Cave"Local authors short-listed for awards". The Telegram, April 24, 1998. 1999 That Night We Were Ravenous "Local writers score in Nova Scotia". The Telegram, May 29, 1999.Don DomanskiParish of the Physic Moon "Atlantic Writing Award nominees announced". Halifax Daily News, April 24, 1999.Robin McGrathEscaped Domestics
2000s YearPoetTitleRef. 2000 Mean"UNB professor wins regional literary award". The Daily Gleaner, June 1, 2000.Herménégilde Chiasson (tr. Jo-Anne Elder, Fred Cogswell)Climates "Time for books: Local awards consolidated in special week". Halifax Daily News, April 28, 2000.George Elliott ClarkeBeatrice Chancy 2001 Light Falls Through You "Atlantic Canadians win writing awards". Cape Breton Post, June 6, 2001.Douglas Burnet SmithThe Killed "Awards finalists announced". New Glasgow Evening News, April 27, 2001.John MacKenzieSledgehammer and Other Poems 2002 Keeping Afloat "Crummey wins Atlantic awards". The Daily Gleaner, May 27, 2002.Herménégilde ChiassonConversations "Linda Little nominated in three areas for Atlantic Book Awards". Truro Daily News, April 27, 2002.Patrick WarnerAll Manner of Misunderstanding 2003 Opening the Island "Savage prize tops Atlantic Writing Awards". Halifax Daily News, May 17, 2003.Brian BartlettThe Afterlife of Trees "Atlantic Book Award nominees announced". Journal Pioneer, April 28, 2003.Robert MooreSo Rarely in Our Skins 2004 Wanting the Day "Winners of Atlantic Writing Awards announced". The Daily Gleaner, May 25, 2004.Jill MacLeanThe Brevity of Red "Nominees are...: Atlantic Writing Awards 2004 nods go to ...". New Glasgow Evening News, April 28, 2004.Sue SinclairMortal Arguments 2005 Dana Gee, "Valley writer wins twice". Halifax Daily News, May 3, 2005.Susan GoyetteUndone "Atlantic book award nominees first chapter of boosted festival". Halifax Daily News, April 14, 2005.John SmithFireflies in the Magnolia Grove 2006 ProcessionalHeather Sawers, "Book award winners". Halifax Daily News, April 29, 2006.Robin McGrathCovenant of Salt "N.B. author makes awards short list". Times & Transcript, April 15, 2006.Harry ThurstonA Ship Portrait 2007 Primer on the HereafterMary DaltonRed Ledger Peter SangerAiken Drum 2008 All Our Wonder Unavenged"Iconic Maritimers highly visible at 2008 Atlantic Book Awards". National Post, May 14, 2008.George MurrayThe Rush to Here "Read east; Literature Atlantic book prize finalists, events announced". Telegraph-Journal, April 17, 2008.Anne SimpsonQuick 2009 Shades of GreenSue SinclairSector Alan R. WilsonSky Atlas
2010s YearPoetTitleRef. 2010 Lean-To "N.S. novelist wins Atlantic book prize". CBC News Nova Scotia, April 15, 2010.Anne ComptonAsking Questions Indoors and Out Scott MacDonald, "Atlantic Book Awards Society names finalists". Quill & Quire, March 2, 2010.Zachariah WellsTrack & Trace 2011 Lookout Douglas Burnet Smith Learning to Count "Atlantic Book Awards shortlist announced". CBC News Nova Scotia, March 3, 2011. Johanna Skibsrud I Do Not Think That I Could Love a Human Being 2012 outskirts "Salon's Top 13 for 2013; If you've been an avid reader of Salon through 2012, you already know what we thought were the best books of the year. So, rather than rehash these literary landmarks, we are looking forward with a list of books to get you through winter and perhaps prove that the number 13 isn't so unlucky after all. Selected by Mike Landry". Telegraph-Journal, December 29, 2012. Warren Heiti Hydrologos "Experience three great authors in one night". The Daily Gleaner, September 8, 2012. Anne Simpson Is 2013 I'm Alive. I Believe in Everything"Wangersky wins fiction award for ‘Whirl Away’". The Telegram, September 23, 2013.Carole Glasser LangilleChurch of the Exquisite Panic: The Ophelia Poems Maria Siassina, "WFNS Literary Awards shortlists revealed". Quill & Quire, June 10, 2013.George MurrayWhiteout 2014 Bite Down Little Whisper Mary Dalton Hooking Dory Cerny, "2014 East Coast Literary Awards finalists announced". Quill & Quire, June 11, 2014. Susan Goyette Ocean 2015 Two Tragedies in 429 Breaths"East Coast Literary Awards celebrate authors" . Atlantic Books Today, June 8, 2015. Brian Bartlett Ringing Here & There: A Nature Calendar "N.S. literary award nominees announced". Halifax Chronicle-Herald, May 5, 2015. Sylvia Hamilton And I Alone Escaped to Tell You 2016 Becky Robertson, "Awards: R.W. Gray, Sue Goyette, Gary L. Saunders win 2016 East Coast Literary Awards". Quill & Quire, June 8, 2016. Phillip Crymble Not Even Laughter Sue Carter, "Dean Jobb, Sue Goyette, Elisabeth de Mariaffi among East Coast Literary Award nominees". Quill & Quire, May 4, 2016. John Wall Barger The Book of Festus 2017 "Donna Morrissey, Jennifer Houle, and Erin Wunker win 2017 East Coast Literary Awards". Quill & Quire, June 1, 2017.Margo WheatonThe Unlit Path Behind the House Becky Robertson, "Darren Greer, Ami McKay, Erin Wunker among East Coast Literary Awards nominees". Quill & Quire, April 20, 2017.Patrick WoodcockYou Can't Bury Them All 2018 All the Names BetweenTara Thorne, "Your 2018 Atlantic Book Award winners". The Coast, May 11, 2018.Allan CooperEverything We've Loved Comes Back to Find UsJames M. Fisher, "Reviews of Books on the 2018 Atlantic Book Awards Shortlist". The Miramichi Reader, March 26, 2018.Alison DyerI'd Write the Sea Like a Parlour Game 2019 This Kind of Thinking Does No GoodBasma KavanaghRuba’iyat for the Time of Apricots Jane van Koeverden, "Lisa Moore, Elisabeth de Mariaffi & Sharon Bala shortlisted for $25K prize for Atlantic Canadian fiction". CBC Arts, May 2, 2019.Annick MacAskillNo Meeting Without Body
2020s YearPoetTitleRef. 2020 Belated Bris of the BrainsickSue Carter, "Ami McKay, Gemma Hickey double winners at Atlantic Book Awards". Quill & Quire, July 2, 2020.Tammy ArmstrongYear of the Metal Rabbit Samraweet Yohannes, "Sheree Fitch among finalists for 2020 Atlantic Book Awards". CBC Books, June 2, 2020.Anne ComptonSmallholding 2021 Black Matters Alex Cook, "Atlantic Book Awards Announce 2021 Winners". The East Magazine, May 14, 2021.David HuebertHumanimusshalan joudryWaking Ground 2022 Poisonous If Eaten RawCassandra Drudi, "2022 Atlantic Book Awards winners announced". Quill & Quire, June 9, 2022.Triny FinlayMyself a Paperclip "Halifax poet and author David Huebert among finalists for 2022 Atlantic Book Awards". CBC Books, April 26, 2022.Rebecca SalazarSulphurtongue 2023 HsinLuke HathawayThe Affirmations "Bridget Canning, Lisa Moore and Annick MacAskill among finalists for 2023 Atlantic Book Awards". CBC Books, April 25, 2023.Annick MacAskillShadow Blight 2024 Fawn Parker Soft InheritanceCassandra Drudi, "Michelle Porter, Jack Wong among Atlantic Book Award winners". Quill & Quire, June 6, 2024. Joe Bishop Indie Rock Cassandra Drudi, "Finalists for Nova Scotia Book Awards and Atlantic Book Awards announced". Quill & Quire, April 15, 2024. Matthew Hollett Optic Nerve Sadie McCarney Your Therapist Says It's Magical Thinking Harry Thurston Ultramarine2025 Douglas Walbourne-Gough IslandClare GouletGraphis scripta / writing lichenAnnick MacAskillVotiveJohanna SkibsrudMediumBren SimmersThe Work
See also List of poetry awards
Notes
External links