Pavilion Poetry has received a second consecutive Forward Prize nomination in its two year history, after Ruby Robinson was shortlisted for the Felix Dennis Prize for Best First Collection.
Ruby, whose work Every Little Sound was published by the imprint in April, follows Pavilion’s, Mona Arshi, winner of the Best First Collection award for Small Hands at the 2015 Forward Prize ceremony.
Ruby said: “It feels unreal.
“Firstly, I’m very grateful to Professor Deryn Rees-Jones for believing in my writing and for helping me to share my voice through the publication of my debut collection. Furthermore, I feel honoured that Every Little Sound has made it onto such a prestigious shortlist. It’s surreal.
“After Mona’s success last year I couldn’t quite believe that, as a relatively small imprint, we had made the list again. I feel very proud to be a part of Pavilion Poetry here in Liverpool.”
Sheffield-based Ruby Robinson’s work is described as “moving and original”, inviting the reader “to listen carefully and use ideas of hearing and listening to explore the legacies of trauma”.
Professor Deryn Rees-Jones is Pavilion Poetry’s Series Editor. The imprint is a joint collaboration between the University of Liverpool’s Department of English and Liverpool University Press.
Professor Rees-Jones said: “In the last three years there has been a significant change in our expectations of what it means to write poetry in the UK.
“The success of Mona’s book saw her embark on a year in which she gave more than forty readings across the world, including the prestigious TS Eliot reading in conjunction with the Royal Society of Literature.
“Ruby’s book – very different but equally strong – is in its turn set to make a big impression. Her reading at the Royal Festival Hall in September will find her an immediate audience of over a thousand poetry readers.
I would like to think that Pavilion, which has set out from the start to actively encourage and nurture poets at all stages of their career, can be part of a wider attempt to expand the possibilities of poetic writing. In particular, it will offer a hospitable context from which a genuinely diverse range of voices can emerge.”
The Forward Prize is the most prestigious award in poetry publishing. The winners in each category will be announced at a special ceremony in September.
Professor Deryn Rees-Jones joins Ruby Robinson and fellow Pavilion writer, Sarah Westcott, at the Ledbury Poetry Festival in July.
To find out more about Pavilion Poetry, please visit: www.liverpooluniversitypress.co.uk/collections/series-pavilion-poetry
