Ken Babstock (born 19 January 1970) is a
Canadian
Canadians (french: Canadiens) are people identified with the country of Canada. This connection may be residential, legal, historical or cultural. For most Canadians, many (or all) of these connections exist and are collectively the source of ...
poet
A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator ( thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems ( oral or wri ...
.
[House of Anansi Press : authors](_blank)
He was born in
Newfoundland and raised in the
Ottawa Valley. Babstock began publishing his poems in journals and anthologies, winning gold at the 1997 Canadian National Magazine Awards. He lives in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
,
Ontario
Ontario ( ; ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada.Ontario is located in the geographic eastern half of Canada, but it has historically and politically been considered to be part of Central Canada. Located in Central C ...
.
Early years
Babstock discovered poetry in his teens, growing up in
Pembroke, Ontario, in the Ottawa Valley.
Career and awards
Babstock's first collection in 1999, ''Mean'', won him the
Milton Acorn Award and the 2000
Atlantic Poetry Prize. According to the official edition of 1999, ''Mean'' is a "stunning exploration of the threshold and divide between our primeval origins and the meanness of our everyday lives." Babstock has since published a second collection, ''Days into Flatspin'', which has also come in for high critical praise.
[WordFest 2008](_blank)
He was the winner of a K.M. Hunter Award. His poems have won gold at the National Magazine Awards, have been anthologized in Canada and the United States, and have been translated into Dutch, Serbo-Croatian, and Latvian.
Babstock worked as Poetry Faculty at the
Banff Centre for the Arts and lives in
Toronto
Toronto ( ; or ) is the capital city of the Canadian province of Ontario. With a recorded population of 2,794,356 in 2021, it is the most populous city in Canada and the fourth most populous city in North America. The city is the anch ...
, Ontario.
Babstock's collection, ''Airstream Land Yacht'', won the
Trillium Book Award, was shortlisted for the 2007 Canadian
Griffin Poetry Prize
The Griffin Poetry Prize is Canada's most generous poetry award. It was founded in 2000 by businessman and philanthropist Scott Griffin.
Before 2022, the awards went to one Canadian and one international poet who writes in the English language. ...
, and was nominated for the
2006 Governor General's Award for poetry.
Babstock's collection ''Methodist Hatchet'', won the 2012 Canadian
Griffin Poetry Prize
The Griffin Poetry Prize is Canada's most generous poetry award. It was founded in 2000 by businessman and philanthropist Scott Griffin.
Before 2022, the awards went to one Canadian and one international poet who writes in the English language. ...
. In 2014, he won the inaugural
Latner Writers' Trust Poetry Prize.
Babstock published a book-length poem, ''On Malice'', in 2014. His most recent collection is ''Swivelmount'', released in late 2020 from
Coach House Books
Coach House Books is an independent book publishing company located in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Coach House publishes experimental poetry, fiction, drama and non-fiction. The press is particularly interested in writing that pushes at the boundar ...
, and was shortlisted for the
ReLit Award The ReLit Awards are Canadian literary prizes awarded annually to book-length works in the novel, short-story and poetry categories."Three indie writers honoured by ReLit Awards". ''The Globe and Mail'', July 19, 2007. Founded in 2000 by Newfoundla ...
for poetry in 2021.
"38 books shortlisted for 2021 ReLit Awards"
CBC Books
CBC Arts (french: Radio-Canada Arts) is the division of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation that creates and curates written articles, short documentaries, non-fiction series and interactive projects that represent the excellence of Canada's div ...
, April 19, 2021.
See also
*Canadian literature
Canadian literature is the literature of a multicultural country, written in languages including Canadian English, Canadian French, Indigenous languages, and many others such as Canadian Gaelic. Influences on Canadian writers are broad both g ...
* Canadian poetry
*List of Canadian poets
This is a list of Canadian poets. Years link to corresponding " earin poetry" articles.
A
*Mark Abley (born 1955), poet, journalist, editor, and non-fiction writer.
*Milton Acorn (1923–1986), poet, writer, and playwright
* José Acqueli ...
*List of Canadian writers
This is a list of Canadian literary figures, including poets, novelists, children's writers, essayists, and scholars.
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References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Babstock, Ken
1970 births
Living people
20th-century Canadian poets
20th-century Canadian male writers
Canadian male poets
Writers from Toronto
People from Pembroke, Ontario
Writers from Newfoundland and Labrador
21st-century Canadian poets
21st-century Canadian male writers