The Norma Farber First Book Award is given by the

Poetry Society of America Poetry (from the Greek word '' poiesis'', "making") is a form of literary art that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language to evoke meanings in addition to, or in place of, literal or surface-level meanings. Any partic ...

"for a first book of original poetry written by an American and published in either a hard or soft cover in a standard edition during the calendar year". Poetry Society of America Web site, Web page titled "PSA Annual Awards Guidelines", accessed October 28, 2006 The award was established by the family and friends of the poet and children's book author

Norma Farber Norma Holzman Farber (6 August 1909 – 21 March 1984) was an American children's book writer and poet. The Poetry Society of America presents the Norma Farber First Book Award, which is awarded for a first book of original poetry written by an A ...

. The award comes with a $500 prize.

Winners

{, class="sortable" !Year !Winner !Title !Judge , - , 2023 , Paul Hlava Ceballos , ''banana ' , Chase Berggrun , - , 2022, , Amanda Larson, , ''Gut (Omnidawn)'', , Mark Bibbins , - , 2021, , Taylor Johnson, , ''Inheritance'' , , Francine J. Harris , - , 2020, , Zaina Alsous, , ''A Theory of Birds'' , , Matthew Shenoda , - , 2019, , Anna Maria Hong, , ''Age of Glass'' , , Geoffrey G. O'Brien , - , 2018, , Eve L. Ewing, , ''Electric Arches'' , , Elizabeth Macklin , - , 2017, , Vincent Toro, , ''Stereo. Island. Mosaic.'' , , Natalie Diaz , - , 2016, , Magdalena Zurawski, , '' ompanion Animal' , , Jennifer Moxley , - , 2015, , Cathy Linh Che, , ''Split'' , ,

Adrian Matejka Adrian Matejka is an American poet and author of ''The Devil's Garden'' and ''Mixology''. His most decorated work is ''The Big Smoke'', which won the Anisfield-Wolf Book Award and was nominated for the National Book Award for Poetry and the Pulit ...

, - , 2014, , r. erica doyle, , ''proxy'' , ,

Maggie Nelson Maggie Nelson (born 1973) is an American writer. She has been described as a genre-busting writer defying classification, working in autobiography, art criticism, theory, feminism, queerness, sexual violence, the history of the avant-garde, aest ...

, - , 2013, , Nick Twemlow, , ''Palm Tree'' , ,

Timothy Liu Timothy Liu (born 1965 in San Jose, California) is an American poet and the author of such books as ''Bending the Mind Around the Dream's Blown Fuse'', ''For Dust Thou Art'', ''Of Thee I Sing'', ''Hard Evidence'', ''Say Goodnight'', ''Burnt Offer ...

, - , 2012, , Emily Kendal Frey, , ''The Grief Performance'' , , Dana Levin , - , 2011, , John Beer, , ''The Wasteland and Other Poems'' , , Bin Ramke , - , 2010, , Scott Coffel, , ''Toucans in the Arctic'' , ,

Edward Hirsch Edward M. Hirsch (born January 20, 1950) is an American poet and critic who wrote a national bestseller about reading poetry. He has published nine books of poems, including ''The Living Fire: New and Selected Poems'' (2010), which brings toget ...

, - , 2009, , Richard Deming, , ''Let’s Not Call It Consequence'', , Martha Ronk , - , 2008, , Catherine Imbriglio, , ''Parts of the Mass'' , , Thylias Moss , - , 2007, , Kate Colby, , ''Fruitlands'' , ,

Rosmarie Waldrop Rosmarie Waldrop (born Rosmarie Sebald; August 24, 1935) is an American poet, novelist, translator, essayist and publisher. Born in Germany, she has lived in the United States since 1958 and has settled in Providence, Rhode Island since the late ...

, - , 2006, , Cammy Thomas, , ''Cathedral of Wish'' , ,

Medbh McGuckian Medbh McGuckian (born as Maeve McCaughan on 12 August 1950) is a poet from Northern Ireland. Biography She was born the third of six children as Maeve McCaughan to Hugh and Margaret McCaughan in North Belfast. Her father was a school headmaste ...

, - , 2005, ,

Karen An-hwei Lee Karen An-hwei Lee (born 1973) is an American poet. Life Born in 1973, and raised in Massachusetts, Lee is a Chinese American poet, translator, and critic. She earned an M.F.A. in creative writing from Brown University and a Ph.D. in literature ...

, , ''In Medias Res'' , , Cole Swensen , - , 2004, , Brenda Coultas, , ''A Handmade Museum'' , ,

Lyn Hejinian Lyn Hejinian ( ; May 17, 1941 – February 24, 2024) was an American poet, essayist, translator, and publisher. She is often associated with the Language poets and is known for her landmark work ''My Life'' (Sun & Moon (publisher), Sun & Moon, 198 ...

, - , 2003, , Sean Singer, , ''Discography'' , ,

Allen Grossman Allen R. Grossman (January 7, 1932 – June 27, 2014) was a noted United States, American poetry, poet, critic and professor. Biography Born in Minneapolis, Minnesota in 1932,Bruce Weber (June 29, 2014)Allen Grossman, A Poet's Poet, and Schol ...

, - , 2002, , Jennifer Michael Hecht, , ''The Next Ancient World'' , ,

David Lehman David Lehman (born June 11, 1948) is an American poet, non-fiction writer, and literary critic, and the founder and series editor for '' The Best American Poetry''. He was a writer and freelance journalist for fifteen years, writing for such pub ...

, - , 2001, , V. Penelope Pelizzon, , ''Nostos'' , , August Kleinzahler , - , 2000, , Lisa Lubasch, , ''How Many More of Them Are You?'', ,

John Yau John Yau (born June 5, 1950) is an American poet and critic who lives in New York City. He received his B.A. from Bard College in 1972 and his M.F.A. from Brooklyn College in 1978. He has published over 50 books of poetry, artists' books, ficti ...

, - , 1999, ,

Hettie Jones Hettie Jones (née Cohen; June 15, 1934 – August 13, 2024) was an American poet. She wrote 23 books that include a memoir of the Beat Generation, three volumes of poetry, and publications for children and young adults, including ''The Trees St ...

, , ''Drive: Poems'' , ,

Naomi Shihab Nye Naomi Shihab Nye (; born March 12, 1952) is an Arab American poet, editor, songwriter, and novelist. Born to a Palestinian father and an American mother, she began composing her first poetry at the age of six. In total, she has published or con ...

, - , 1998, , Rebecca Reynolds, , ''Daughter of the Hangnail'' , , Ann Lauterbach , - , 1997, , Susan Yuzna, , ''Her Slender Dress'' , , Michael Weaver , - , 1995, , Barbara Hamby, , ''Delirium'' , - , 1994, , Sophie Cabot Black, , ''The Misunderstanding of Nature'', , {{cite web , url=http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2003/04.03/05-poetry.html , title=Harvard Gazette: Daylong literary fete to feature award-winning poets , accessdate=2006-10-28 , url-status=dead , archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20060904225856/http://www.news.harvard.edu/gazette/2003/04.03/05-poetry.html , archivedate=2006-09-04 "Daylong literary fete to feature award-winning poets" article in the ''Harvard University Gazette'', April 4, 2003 , - , 1993, , Susan Wheeler, , ''Bag O' Diamonds'' , , James Tate , - , 1992, ,

, , ''Vox Angelica'' , ,

Carolyn Forche Carolyn is a female given name, a variant of Caroline. Other spellings include Carolin, Karolyn, Carolyne, Carolynn or Carolynne. Caroline itself is one of the feminine forms of Charles. List of notable people *Carolyn Bennett (born 1950), ...

, - , 1991, ,

Karl Kirchwey Karl Kirchwey (born February 25, 1956) is an American poet, essayist, translator, critic, teacher, arts administrator, and literary curator. His career has taken place both inside and outside of academia. He is Professor of English and Creative ...

, , ''A Wandering Island'' , ,

Notes

External links

Poetry Society of America Awards Guidelines page
American poetry awards First book awards Poetry Society of America

Winners

See also

Notes

External links