Robert Gray Prize for Poetry: Winner

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“… a poem that never confounds the reader, inviting us all in to see and feel the scene with a devastating clarity. This is one of the great poems of our age.” (Judges' comment on the winning poem)

At an online event on 28 August, we were delighted to announce Judith Beveridge's poem, "The Octopus", as the winner of the inaugural Robert Gray Prize for Poetry. In a unanimous decision, the three judges selected Judith's poem from a shortlist of fifty that was replete with superb poems submitted by talented poets for across Australia and beyond.

Judith Beveridge reads "The Octopus"

The judges also singled out five other poems from the shortlist for commendation.

Audrey Molloy	"Milk Beach, Late Summer"
Helga Jermy	"Murmuration of Starlings: an Ideogram"
Jo Gardiner	"Tenancy"
Jo Gardiner	"In the Mountains"
Jo Gardiner	"Postscript to Summer

Audrey Molloy reads "Milk Beach, Late Summer"

Mark Tredinnick reads Helga Jermy's poem, "Murmuration of Starlings"

Jo Gardiner reads "Tenancy"

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Our congratulations to Judith, Audrey, Helga and Jo--and to all the shortlisted poets. Our thanks to the many poets who submitted poems: you turned our hope of honouring one of Australia's greatest poets with a new poetry prize a reality. And our gratitude to the judging panel--Judith Nangala Crispin, Gareth Sion Jenkins and Tegan Gigante--for their astute judgment and diligent performance of an impossibly difficult task. (You can hear Mark read from the judges' report in the video clip below.)

Mark Tredinnick reads from the judges' report