BREAKWATER BOOKS AUTHOR MAGGIE BURTON WINS 
CANADIAN FIRST BOOK PRIZE FROM THE GRIFFIN POETRY TRUST

Breakwater Books is thrilled to announce that Maggie Burton, author of the 2023 debut poetry title, Chores, has won the Canadian First Book Prize awarded by the Griffin Trust. The Griffin Poetry Prize is the most generous and prestigious poetry prize in Canada, and one of the top poetry prizes for recognition and purse in the world.

Announced on May 29 by the Griffin Trust, the Canadian First Book Prize includes an award of C$10,000, along with a six-week residency in Italy in partnership with the Civitella Ranieri Foundation.

Of winning the award, Burton writes, “I am very honoured that Chores, a book about the experiences of Newfoundland women in the domestic sphere, was chosen to receive this prize. It means a lot to know that my poems resonate with so many people.”

“Winning an award from the Griffin Poetry Prize is a testament to the skill and heart Maggie brings to all her endeavours,” says Rebecca Rose, president and publisher of Breakwater Books. “But particularly to the dedication she has shown as an emerging poet. For us at Breakwater, it is also a testament to the skill and heart of all our authors, editors, and staff who produce and promote books of the highest standard, as we’ve been doing for the last 50 years.”

The citation from judges Albert F. Moritz (Canada), Jan Wagner (Germany), and Anne Waldman (USA) reads, in part: “Maggie Burton’s Chores is charming and profound, traditional and inventive. Its combination of qualities seems effortless but is not only the innate fruit of a vision but the result of skillful poetic design. The book’s detailed, intimate awareness beautifully evokes Newfoundland and expands to our worldwide cultural moment. Burton applies a critique of how we live while embracing life with tenderness and humour.”

Learn more about Chores online at our website. For author bookings or comment, please reach out to George Murray at the information listed below.