Tom Wayman has been awarded the 2026 Al and Eurithe Purdy Poetry Prize for his collection Out of the Ordinary (Harbour Publishing, 2025), a $10,000 prize recognizing the most outstanding new poetry book by an established Canadian poet.

Selected by a jury that included Susan Musgrave, Sid Marty and A. F. Moritz, the winning collection was praised for its ability to draw depth and resonance from everyday life. Moritz described the book as “one of the freshest, most beautiful and generous” works in Wayman’s long career.

The prize, established in 2024 by Eurithe Purdy and administered by the Al Purdy A-frame Association, the Al and Eurithe Purdy Poetry Prize was created to preserve Al Purdy’s literary legacy and celebrate the achievements of outstanding Canadian poets.

Speaking from his home in British Columbia’s West Kootenays, Wayman reflected on the influence of Purdy on his own writing, noting the importance of a conversational poetic voice that remains accessible while addressing complex realities. Out of the Ordinary engages with contemporary challenges—including the pandemic, climate crisis and social change—while grounding them in the textures of everyday experience.

With more than twenty poetry collections and a career spanning decades, Wayman’s latest recognition further affirms his contribution to Canadian literature and the continuing relevance of poetry in interpreting the present moment. 9781998526123