Ken Babstock (born 19 January 1970) is a
Canadian
Canadians () 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 their being ''C ...
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 (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...
.
[House of Anansi Press : authors](_blank)
He was born in
Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region of Labrador, having a total size of . As of 2025 the population ...
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 ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
,
Ontario
Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...
.
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
Milton James Rhode Acorn (March 30, 1923 – August 20, 1986), nicknamed ''The People's Poet'' by his peers, was a Canadian poet, writer, and playwright.
Early life
He was born in Prince Edward Island, and grew up in Charlottetown. He joined the ...
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
Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity (formerly Banff Centre) is an arts and culture educational institution in Banff, Alberta.
It offers arts programs in the performing and fine arts, as well as leadership training. It was established in 193 ...
and lives in
Toronto
Toronto ( , locally pronounced or ) is the List of the largest municipalities in Canada by population, most populous city in Canada. It is the capital city of the Provinces and territories of Canada, Canadian province of Ontario. With a p ...
, Ontario.
Babstock's collection, ''Airstream Land Yacht'', won the
Trillium Book Award
The Trillium Book Award ( or ''Prix Trillium'') is an annual literary award presented to writers in Ontario, Canada. It is administered by Ontario Creates, a Crown agency (Ontario), Crown agency of the Government of Ontario, which is overseen by ...
, was shortlisted for the 2007 Canadian
Griffin Poetry Prize
The Griffin Poetry Prize is a Canadian poetry award. It was founded in 2000 by businessman and philanthropist Scott Griffin.
Before 2022, two separate awards went to one Canadian and one international poet who writes in the English language. I ...
, 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 a Canadian poetry award. It was founded in 2000 by businessman and philanthropist Scott Griffin.
Before 2022, two separate awards went to one Canadian and one international poet who writes in the English language. I ...
. 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 () 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 diverse artistic communitie ...
, April 19, 2021.
See also
*Canadian literature
Canadian literature is written in several languages including Canadian English, English, Canadian French, French, and various Indigenous Canadian languages. It is often divided into French- and English-language literatures, which are rooted in th ...
*Canadian poetry
Canadian poetry is poetry of or typical of Canada. The term encompasses poetry written in Canada or by Canadian people in the official languages of English and French, and an increasingly prominent body of work in both other European and Indigen ...
*List of Canadian poets
This is a list of Canadian poets. Years link to the 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 Ac ...
*List of Canadian writers
This is a list of Canadian literature, Canadian literary figures, such as poets, novelists, children's writers, essayists, and scholars.
__NOTOC__
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Jenny Denis 1983 high Fantasy YA Dragons of Nesbit
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References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Babstock, Ken
1970 births
Living people
20th-century Canadian poets
20th-century Canadian male writers
Canadian male poets
Poets from Toronto
People from Pembroke, Ontario
Poets from Newfoundland and Labrador
21st-century Canadian poets
21st-century Canadian male writers