The Archibald Lampman Award is an annual Canadian literary award, created by Blaine Marchand, and presented by the literary magazine Arc, for the year's best work of poetry by a writer living in the National Capital Region.

The award is presented alongside the Ottawa Book Awards for fiction and non-fiction literature."Tim Cook and Jean Van Loon among winners of 2023 Ottawa Book Awards". Quill & Quire, October 13, 2023.

History

The award is named in honour of Canadian poet Archibald Lampman (1861–1899). Born in 1861, he graduated from Trinity College (Toronto) in 1882, then moved to Ottawa where he worked for the Post Office until his death in 1899. He is known for his ability to immerse metaphysics in the details of nature, which he observed while hiking round what was then the wilderness capital of a new country. His books include Among the Millet (1888), Lyrics of Earth (1895) and the posthumous Alcyone (1900).

In 2007, the Archibald Lampman Award for Poetry merged with the Duncan Campbell Scott Foundation, creating the $1500 annual Lampman–Scott Award in honour of two great Confederation Poets. This partnership came to an end in 2010, and competition returned to its former identity as the Archibald Lampman Award for Poetry.

The inclusion of Scott's name in the award has been controversial because of Scott's actions as a Canadian government official supervising Indian affairs for many years. As head of Canada's Indian Affairs agency, Scott promoted the national government's residential school system as a way to assimilate aboriginal children into Canadian society, separating them from their parents and native culture.News article, no byline, "Poet donates prize as reminder of award namesake's legacy", "Last Updated: Tuesday, October 21, 2008, 10:44 AM ET", CBC News (Canadian Broadcasting Corporation), retrieved August 8, 2009

The 2003 and 2008 winner of the award, Shane Rhodes, in 2008 turned over half of the $1,500 prize money to the Wabano Centre for Aboriginal Health, a First Nations health centre, according to a 2008 report by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. "Taking that money wouldn't have been right, with what I'm writing about," Rhodes said. The poet was researching First Nations history and found Scott's name repeatedly referenced. The CBC reported that Rhodes felt "Scott's legacy as a civil servant overshadows his work as a pioneer of Canadian poetry."

In response, Anita Lahey, then editor of Arc Poetry Magazine, said she thought Scott's actions as head of Indian Affairs were important to remember, but did not eclipse his role in the history of Canadian literature. "I think it matters that we're aware of it and that we think about and talk about these things," she said. "I don't think controversial or questionable activities in the life of any artist or writer is something that should necessarily discount the literary legacy that they leave behind."

Winners 1986 – Colin Morton, This Won't Last Forever 1987 – Christopher Levenson, Arriving at Night 1988 – John Barton, West of Darkness 1989 – Patrick White, Habitable Planets 1990 – Gary Geddes, No Easy Exit 1991 – George Elliott Clarke, Whylah Falls 1992 – Blaine Marchand, A Garden Enclosed 1993 – Marianne Bluger, Summer Grass 1994 – John Newlove, Apology for Absence: Selected Poems 1962–1992 1995 – John Barton, Designs from the Interior 1996 – Gary Geddes, The Perfect Cold Warrior 1997 – Diana Brebner, Flora & Fauna 1998 – Sandra Nicholls, Woman of Sticks, Woman of Stones 1999 – John Barton, Sweet Ellipsis 2000 – Stephanie Bolster, Two Bowls of Milk 2001 – Colin Morton, Coastlines of the Archipelago 2002 – Armand Garnet Ruffo, At Geronimo's Grave 2003 – Shane Rhodes, Holding Pattern 2004 – David O'Meara, The Vicinity 2005 – Stephen Brockwell, Fruitfly Geographic 2006 – Laura Farina, This Woman Alphabetical 2007 – Monty Reid, Disappointment Island 2008 – Shane Rhodes, The Bindery 2009 – David O'Meara, Noble Gas, Penny Black 2010 – Craig Poile, True Concessions 2011 – Paul Tyler, A Short History of Forgetting 2012 – Michael Blouin, Wore Down Trust 2013 – Nina Berkhout, Elseworlds 2014 – David O'Meara, A Pretty Sight 2015 – Shane Book, Congotronic 2016 – Pearl Pirie, the pet radish, shrunken 2017 – Stephen Brockwell, All of Us Reticent, Here, Together 2018 – Christine McNair, Charm 2019 – Jenny Haysom, Dividing the Wayside 2020 – Ben Ladouceur, Mad Long Emotion 2021 – Deborah-Anne Tunney, A Different Wolf 2022 – David O'Meara, Masses on Radar 2023 – Conyer Clayton, But the sun, and the ships, and the fish, and the waves

See also Canadian poetry List of poetry awards List of years in poetry List of years in literature

References

External links Archibald Lampman Award