All four of the 2024 Forward prizes for poetry have been awarded to women: Victoria Chang won the £10,000 prize for best collection; Marjorie Lotfi’s book was named best first collection; Cindy Juyoung Ok won the prize for the best single poem (written); and Leyla Josephine was awarded the prize for the best single poem (performed).
The four winners, who will receive a total prize pot of £17,000, “demonstrate that poetry is more vital than ever”, said poet Jane Clarke, who was on this year’s judging panel. “Whether deeply serious or playful, formally inventive or traditionally lyrical, these collections and single poems share an ability to enrich our lives, helping us understand ourselves, each other and the world around us in all its wonder, tragedy and grace.”
The Detroit-born, California-based Chang’s winning collection engages with the paintings and writings of artist Agnes Martin. The title, With My Back to the World, is taken from Martin’s declaration “I paint with my back to the world”: she was interested not in capturing material existence but in abstract experience.
Lotfi was awarded the Felix Dennis prize for best first collection for her debut The Wrong Person to Ask. Born in New Orleans, the poet moved to Tehran as a baby, fled to the US during the Iranian Revolution, and is now based in Edinburgh. Described as “rich” and “radiant” by Guardian reviewer Rebecca Tamás, Lotfi’s debut collection is a meditation on the idea of home.
California-born Ok, who now lives and teaches in Iowa, won for her poem Ward of One, about domestic violence. The poet describes it as “self-soothing as an adult through images of self and art in childhood”.
Glasgow-born poet, film-maker and theatre-maker Josephine’s performance of her poem Dear John Berger won the Jerwood prize for performed poetry – a Forward category that was introduced last year. Josephine describes her winning poem as being “about loneliness, heartbreak, the desire to be seen and looked at”.
Clarke was joined on this year’s judging panel by the poets and writers Alycia Pirmohamed, Vanessa Kisuule and Daniel Sluman, as well as the chair of judges, actor, presenter and poet Craig Charles.
“It is impossible to try and suggest that four poets can fully represent a moment in time,” Pirmohamed said. “What I can say with certainty is that our selections this year are works that I love wholeheartedly.”
The Forward prizes were established in 1992 and have recognised some of the biggest names in poetry, including Simon Armitage, Ted Hughes and Carol Ann Duffy. Last year’s best collection prize went to Jason Allen-Paisant’s Self-Portrait as Othello, while the best first collection was won by Momtaza Mehri for Bad Diaspora Poems. Libation by Malika Booker was chosen as the best single poem (written), while the inaugural performed poem prize was awarded to Bohdan Piasecki for Almost Certainly.
