Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry
りべか・じょんそん・ぼびっとこくみんししょう
Poetry prize awarded biennially by the Library of Congress to the most outstanding U.S. poetry collection published in the past two years (prize money $10,000).
- Established
- 1988
- Organizer
- Library of Congress (The Center for the Book)
- Category
- Poetry and Contemporary Poetry
- Selection Method
- Recommendation
- Target
- Professional
- Frequency
- Biennial
- Status
- Active
Description
The Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt National Prize for Poetry is an award presented biennially by the Library of Congress (Center for the Book) to the work recognized as the 'most distinguished book' among U.S. poetry collections published in the preceding two years. Winners typically receive $10,000 in prize money, and the selection is based on nominations from publishers. The judging panel consists of three judges appointed by the selection committee, which selects the judges from the Librarian of Congress, Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry, a publisher designated by the Academy of American Poets, and a literary critic recommended by the Bobbitt family. Eligible recipients are limited to living American poets, and nominated works must be either the poet's first poetry collection or composed of new poems regardless of length. At the discretion of the selection panel, a Lifetime Achievement Award may be given instead of this prize, with no formal nomination process in that case. The award was established in 1988 and has been presented biennially since 1990.
Prize
- Main Prize
- Standard prize money $10,000 (may be replaced with Lifetime Achievement Award at judges' discretion)
- Cash Prize
- 10,000 USD
- Lifetime Achievement may be awarded at the judges' discretion
- Recognition and ceremony by the Library of Congress
- No formal nomination process for Lifetime Achievement (awarded several times in the past)
Selection
Selection Process
| Stage | Judges | Pass Rate | Announcement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nomination | Publishers (publishers submit nominations) | — | Nominations from publishers are submitted to the Library of Congress and received by the selection committee. |
| Selection committee appointment | Selection committee (Librarian of Congress, Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry, publisher designated by Academy of American Poets, literary critic recommended by Bobbitt family) | — | The selection committee appoints three judges. |
| Jury deliberation and winner selection | Three-member jury (appointed by selection committee) | — | The jury determines the winner(s), and the Library of Congress announces the winner (press release, ceremony, etc.). |
| Lifetime Achievement (optional) | Three-member jury (decided at judges' discretion if necessary) | — | If the Lifetime Achievement Award is granted at the judges' discretion, the Library of Congress announces it. There is no formal nomination process. |
Criteria
- Must be the most outstanding poetry collection by an American published after the previous two years ('Most Distinguished Book of Poetry Published in the preceding two years')
- Winners limited to living American poets
- Nominated works must be the poet's first poetry collection or a collection of new poems regardless of length
- Edited/selected collections are eligible only if they include at least 30 new poems (unpublished in book form)
- At the judges' discretion, a Lifetime Achievement Award may be given instead of the regular prize
Application Tips
Dos
- Formally nominate through a publisher (nominations require publishers)
- Confirm that the work to nominate was published in the past two years
- Clearly indicate that the candidate work is the poet's first collection or composed of new poems
- If nominating an edited/selected collection, confirm it includes at least 30 new poems
- Confirm that the recipient is a living American poet
Don''ts
- Do not apply directly as an individual without a publisher (self-nomination) (nominations are done by publishers)
- Do not nominate works of deceased persons (winners limited to living poets)
- Do not submit collections that do not sufficiently include new works
From Judges
- Judging is conducted to a high standard — originality of the work, poetic achievement, and overall excellence are emphasized (Robert Pinsky's comment: "I don't know of any other literary prize that has such a high standard.")
- Publishers should carefully prepare nomination materials, providing context that demonstrates the work's importance and novelty
Related Awards
- Bollingen Prize for Poetry
- Pulitzer Prize for Poetry
- National Book Award for Poetry
- Academy of American Poets awards
- Poet Laureate Consultant in Poetry (US Poet Laureate)