2024 Raymond Souster winner
May 09th, 2024
Bradley Peters wins the 2024 Raymond Souster award for his debut, Sonnets from a Cell (Brick Books $22.95). This award celebrates a new book of poetry by a member of the League of Canadian Poets.
Peters is a poet, actor and carpenter from Mission, BC. His poetry has been published in numerous literary magazines, been shortlisted for The Fiddlehead’s Ralph Gustafson Award, has twice been the runner-up for Subterrain’s Lush Triumphant Award, and in 2019 placed first in Grain Magazine’s Short Grain contest.
Sonnets from a Cell traverses diverse landscapes, from riots to mall parkades to church, blending inmate speech, prison psychology, skateboard slang, and contemporary lyricism. Peters navigates the tough and tender aspects of life, reflecting on his own days “caught between the past and nothing.” Written behind closed doors, his poetry reaches for moments of longing, wild joy and grace. Drawing on his personal experiences within the Canadian prison system, Peters crafts a poignant reckoning with societal structures that sentence many to loss. His work serves as both a personal reflection and a critical examination of violence, enforcement and patriarchal cultures.
Raymond Souster Award jurors Tara Borin, Adebe DeRango-Adem, and David Ly wrote this about Peters’ book: “In Sonnets from a Cell, Peters distills liberation from his experiences of incarceration through the confines of the sonnet form with remarkable vulnerability and wit. These technically refined poems upend notions of who is “free” and who is “protected” by providing a nuanced, emotional framework for why the abolition of prison systems is so urgent. In his elegant and poignant debut, Peters writes with a refreshing and immediately memorable voice, inviting us to experience his thoughtful perspective as soon as we ‘enter the cell and whisper Here I am.’”
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ABOUT THE AWARD
The League of Canadian Poets mandate is to elevate the cultural significance of poetry and champion the role of poets. Working to nurture and expand poetry communities and audiences, the organization cultivates the local, national and international publication, performance, and recognition of poetry. The League supports equitable and inclusive artistic practice through poetry education and development.
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