Karen Leeder wins 2025 Griffin Poetry Prize
Emeritus Fellow Karen Leeder has been awarded the 2025 Griffin Poetry Prize, for her translation of Durs Grünbein's Psyche Running: Selected Poems 2005-2022. Published by Seagull Books in 2024, the collection provides an overview and selection of Durs Grünbein, one of the most significant and successful poets of his generation in Germany.
The Griffin Poetry Prize is an international prize, awarded to first edition books of poetry written in English, or translated into English. The prize of C$130,000 is shared 60% to the translator, 40% to the original author; each of the other finalists receives C$10,000.
Judges Nick Laird, Anne Michaels, and Tomasz Różycki read 578 books of poetry, including 47 translations from 20 languages, submitted by 219 publishers from 17 different countries.
The winner of this year's prize was announced at the end of the Griffin Poetry Prize Readings held at Koerner Hall. The evening included readings by the 2025 shortlisted poets, Aaron Coleman, Durs Grünbein, Brian Henry, Karen Leeder, Carl Phillips, Diane Seuss, and Dawn Macdonald — the Canadian First Book Prize winner.
