Pat Lowther Memorial Award
ぱっと・ろーざーきねんしょう
An annual Canadian literary award for the best book of poetry by a woman — including cis women, trans women, and non-binary individuals comfortable with a women's prize.
PoetryWomen's literary awardCanadian literary awardsBook award
- Established
- 1980
- Organizer
- League of Canadian Poets
- Category
- Poetry and Contemporary Poetry
- Selection Method
- Selection
- Target
- Professional
- Frequency
- 1 per year
- Announcement Period
- around May–June
- Status
- Active
Description
The Pat Lowther Memorial Award is an annual Canadian literary award presented by the League of Canadian Poets to the year's best book of poetry by a Canadian woman. It was established in 1980 in honour of poet Pat Lowther. Each winner receives an honorarium of CAD 1,000.
Prize
- Main Prize
- Honorarium to the winner (CAD 1,000)
- Cash Prize
- 1,000 CAD
- Recognition and media coverage from winning (announced through the League of Canadian Poets)
Selection
Selection Process
| Stage | Judges | Pass Rate | Announcement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Submission / Nomination | League of Canadian Poets (secretariat / reception) | — | Application reception (annual, follow the organizer's guidelines) |
| Shortlist selection | Selection committee (designated by League of Canadian Poets) | — | Shortlist announcement (mainly around April to May) |
| Final selection / Winner determination | Selection committee (final selection) | — | Winner announcement (official website and press, around May to June) |
Submission / Nomination
Judges
League of Canadian Poets (secretariat / reception)
Announcement
Application reception (annual, follow the organizer's guidelines)
Shortlist selection
Judges
Selection committee (designated by League of Canadian Poets)
Announcement
Shortlist announcement (mainly around April to May)
Final selection / Winner determination
Judges
Selection committee (final selection)
Announcement
Winner announcement (official website and press, around May to June)
Criteria
- Poetry collection by a woman who is Canadian national or resident in Canada
- Published as a poetry collection (in compliance with the organizer's entry requirements)
- Literary excellence (poetic technique, originality, consistency as a collection)
Application Tips
Dos
- Carefully review the entry requirements (official website) in advance
- Confirm eligibility as an author (being a Canadian woman) and publication period conditions
- Final proofread submissions, properly format them, and submit
- Adhere to the application deadline
Don''ts
- Submit ignoring entry rules or formats
- Submit after the deadline
- Send incomplete drafts or clearly disorganized manuscripts
From Judges
- Emphasis on overall consistency and structure of the poetry collection
- Evaluate not only individual poem quality but also cohesion as a collection
- Emphasis on originality and poetic technique (language sense, vivid imagery)
Related Awards
- Gerald Lampert Award
- League of Canadian Poets book awards
- Canadian poetry awards
- List of literary awards honoring women