In the wake of my earlier post regarding my mentor George McWhirter’s arrival on the 2024 Griffin Poetry Prize short list, there is this extraordinarily wonderful news from last night’s event in Toronto:
George McWhirter wins $78,000 for the international prize for his translation of Self-Portrait in the Zone of Silence, written in Spanish by Mexican poet Homero Aridjis (New Directions Publishing).
Click here for full details about the 2024 prizewinners, all of whom deserve a boisterous huzzah from those us south of the 49th parallel.
Here (starting at 1:36:48) is George reading both the Spanish originals and his translations of a few poems from Homero’s collection. This double duty was due to a reason the host explains before bringing George to the podium. Enjoy!
And check out a selection of George’s own poetry in the current issue of Bristlecone magazine.
Congratulations, George and Homero—and all the other poets who were honored at this event!
Joseph Hutchison, Colorado Poet Laureate 2014-2019, has published 20 collections of poems and edited or co-edited three poetry anthologies. He currently directs two master’s-level programs for University College at the University of Denver: Professional Creative Writing and Arts & Culture Management. Joe lives with his wife, Melody Madonna, in the mountains southwest of Denver, Colorado, the city where he was born. 
Thanks, friends! Don’t miss George’s reading, the YouTube video of which is linked above. He reads slowly and savors every word….
Congratulations to them both! Thanks for sharing!
Congratulations to George McWhirter! Homero Aridjis is an outstanding poet, and translating his work a challenging and worthy undertaking.
Kudos for McWhirter!