Archibald Lampman Award

Prize: $1,500

The Archibald Lampman Award recognizes an outstanding book of English-language poetry by an author living in the National Capital Region.

Archibald Lampman was one of Canada’s finest 19th-century poets. 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).

Eligible entries are English-language books of poetry published by a recognized publisher.
Eligible books must be no less than 48 pages in length.
The contest is open to authors who have had their principal home and actual residence in the National Capital Region for at least 6 months immediately prior to the date of publication of the submitted book. Proof of residency may be required.
Please send 4 copies of the book before the contest deadline (March 31) to Arc’s mailing address: PO Box 269 Stn B, Ottawa, ON, K1P 6C4

For the years 2007 through 2009, the Archibald Lampman Award merged with the Duncan Campbell Scott Foundation to become the Lampman-Scott Award. This partnership came to an end in 2010, and the prize returned to its former identity as the Archibald Lampman Award for Poetry.

Past Winners

Year	Book	Poet & Publisher	Finalists & Judges
2024	Vixen	Sandra Ridley Bookhug*
2023	But the sun, and the ships, and the fish, and the waves	Conyer Clayton Anvil Press
2022	Masses on Radar	David O’Meara Coach House Books
2021	A Different Wolf	Deborah-Anne Tunney McGill-Queen’s University Press
2020	Mad Long Emotion	Ben Ladouceur Coach House Books
2019	Dividing the Wayside	Jenny Haysom Palimpsest Press
2018	Charm	Christine McNair Bookhug*
2017	All of Us Reticent, Here, Together	Stephen Brockwell Mansfield Press	Adrienne Gruber, George Murray & Moez Surani
2016	the pet radish, shrunken	Pearl Pirie Bookhug*
2015	Congotronic	Shane Book House of Anansi
2014	A Pretty Sight	David O’Meara Coach House Books	Stan Dragland, Katherina Vermette & Adam Dickinson
2013	Elseworlds	Nina Berkhout Seraphim Editions	Priscila Uppal, Andris Taskans & Robin Richardson
2012	Wore Down Trust	Michael Blouin Pedlar Press
2011	A Short History of Forgetting	Paul Tyler Gaspereau Press
2010	True Concessions	Craig Poile Goose Lane Editions
2009	Noble Gas, Penny Black	David O’Meara Brick Books	Sandy Shreve, Mark Abley & Meredith Quartermain
2008	The Bindery	Shane Rhodes NeWest Press
2007	Disappointment Island	Monty Reid Chaudiere Books	Stephen Guppy, Tonja Gunvaldsen Klaassen & Sue Sinclair
2006	This Woman Alphabetical	Laura Farina Pedlar Press	Sue Goyette, Ken Howe & Sue Wheeler
2005	Fruitfly Geographic	Stephen Brockwell ECW Press	Jeanette Lynes, matt robinson, Russell Thornton
2004	The Vicinity	David O’Meara Brick Books	Brian Bartlett, Stephanie Bolster & Aislinn Hunter
2003	Holding Pattern	Shane Rhodes NeWest Press	Tim Bowling, John Steffler & Rhea Tregebor
2002	At Geronimo’s Grave	Armand Garnet Ruffo Coteau Books
2001	Coastlines of the Archipelago	Colin Morton BuschekBooks
2000	Two Bowls of Milk	Stephanie Bolster McClelland & Stewart
1999	Sweet Ellipsis	John Barton
1998	Woman of Sticks, Woman of Stones	Sandra Nicholls
1997	Flora & Fauna	Diana Brebner
1996	The Perfect Cold Warrior	Gary Geddes
1995	Designs from the Interior	John Barton
1994	Apology for Absence Selected Poems 1962-1992	John Newlove
1993	Summer Grass	Marianne Bluger
1992	A Garden Enclosed	Blaine Marchand
1991	Wylah Falls	George Elliot Clarke
1990	No Easy Exit	Gary Geddes
1989	Habitable Planets	Patrick White
1988	West of Darkness	John Barton
1987	Arriving at Night	Christopher Levenson
1986	This Won’t Last Forever	Colin Morton