Lucy Dougan and Jennifer Maiden shortlisted for 2016 WA Premier’s Poetry Award

Two Giramondo poets have been shortlisted for the 2016 Western Australian Premier’s Poetry Award: Lucy Dougan for The Guardians and Jennifer Maiden for The Fox Petition.

The judges said of The Guardians: ‘Seemingly simple, actually very dense poetry, Dougan’s elliptical work hints at a life that hovers just beyond our comprehension; in dreams, tales, the past, in the imagination of the poet. This other world surrounds even the most domestic of the poems. Often funny as well as serious, the work is at the same time mysterious and haunting.’

On The Fox Petition: ‘Mostly long, often conversational poems between well-known political or public figures, Maiden’s poetry is sharp, witty and entertaining. Its focus is on rights of all kinds and for her the poetry is definitely, and defiantly, the political. While it often uses historical figures, the work is always marked by its contemporary significance and broad historical relevance.’

The prize-winners will be announced on Monday 3 October 2016.

For more information visit the website.