Critic’s Desk Award – past winners
2021
- Feature Review: Marilyn Dumont, “Whose Voice Are You Resounding?” (Arc 92)
- Brief Review: Carolyn Nakagawa, “Ambivalent Inheritance: my yt mama by Mercedes Eng” (Arc website, October 2020)
- Judge: Adrian De Leon
2020
- Feature Review: Sanchari Sur, “In Search of Home: Three Perspectives on What It Means to Belong” (Arc 88)
- Brief Review: Carl Watts on Ekke by Klara du Plessis (Arc 89)
- Judge: Shane Neilson
2019
- Feature Review: Kai Cheng Thom, “Re-Membering the Body: Joshua Jennifer Espinoza’s There Should Be Flowers” (Arc 87)
- Brief Review: Kim Trainor on Après Satie—For Two and Four Hands by Dean Steadman (Arc 85)
- Judge: Jacqueline Valencia
2018
- Feature Review: Joshua Whitehead, “Making Love to Make Live: Kihcihtâkosiwi-Nikamowin” (Arc 84)
- Brief Review: Sarah Burgoyne, “There’s Stuff Between Things: Aisha Sasha John’s I have to live,” (Arc website, November 2017)
- Judge: Adèle Barclay
2017
- Feature Review: Ben Gallagher, “Reports, Laments, Rituals, Rumours” (Arc 81)
- Brief Review: Phoebe Wang, “Imagining a Legacy: Elise Partridge’s The Exiles’ Gallery” (Arc website, March 2016)
- Judge: Adele Barclay (CWILA Critic-in Residence)
2016
- Feature Review: Patricia Keeney “And Death Shall Have No Dominion” (Arc 76)
- Brief Review: Jamie Bradley on The Counting House by Sandra Ridley (Arc 76)
2015
- Feature Review: Margaret Christakos, “Weight, Rise and Riffle: Jordan Abel’s Exuberant Excisions in The Place of Scraps” (Arc website, Feb 2014)
- Brief Review: Rachael Wyatt on Richard Norman’s Zero Kelvin (Arc website, Dec 2014)
- Judge: Lucas Crawford (CWILA critic-in-residence)
2014
- Feature Review: Patricia Keeney, “Seasoned Poets and Pioneers” (Arc 70)
- Brief Review: Margaret Christakos on Red Doc by Anne Carson (Arc 71)
- Judge: Shannon Webb-Campbell (CWILA critic-in-residence)
2013
- Feature Review: Zachariah Wells, “Attention Paid, Taylor Made” (Arc 68)
- Brief Review: Stevie Howell on Sweet by Dani Couture (Arc 67)
- Judge: Rhonda Douglas
2012
- Feature Review: Patricia Keeney, “GG offer dazzle vs. wisdom” (Arc website, fall 2011)
- Brief Review: Shane Neilson on Witness by Patrick Lane (Arc website, winter 2011)
- Judge: Amanda Jernigan
2011
- Feature Review: Amanda Jernigan, “Listening to Margaret Avison” (Arc 64)
- Brief Review: Asa Boxer on Athena Becomes a Swallow by Brent MacLaine (Arc 64)
- Judge: Richard Greene
2010
- Feature Review: [none]
- Brief Review: Chris Jennings on Dead Cars in Managua by Stuart Ross (Arc 63)
- Judge: Judith Herz
2009
- Feature Review: Carmine Starnino, “Arriving Early” on Noble Gas, Penny Black by David O’Meara (Arc 62)
- Brief Review: Zachariah Wells on Earthly Pages: The Poetry of Don Domanski (ed. Brian Bartlett) (Arc 61)
- Judge: Russell Brown
2008
- Feature Review: Abou Farman, “Poetry of Inquiry” on The Rush to Here by George Murray, and Ox by Christopher Patton (Arc 59)
- Brief Review: Katia Grubisic on Last Water Song by Patrick Lane (Arc 60)
- Judge: Matthew Holmes
2007
- Feature Review: Triny Finlay, “Back to the Modern: three Ottawa Poets” (Arc 57)
- Brief Review: Christopher Doda on apostrophe by Bill Kennedy & Darren-Wershler Henry (Arc 57)
- Judge: Frank Davey
2006
- Feature Review: Abou Farman “History’s Hollow” (Arc 54)
- Brief Review: Zachariah Wells on Free Will by Harold Rhenisch (Arc 54)
- Judge: George Elliott Clarke
2005
- Feature Review: Harold Rhenisch, “Five Laureates on the Red Earth Road” (Arc 53)
- Brief Review: Zachariah Wells on Hey, Crumbling Balcony! Poems New & Selected by Stuart Ross (Arc 52)
- Judge: Smaro Kamboureli
2004
- Feature Review: Bruce Whiteman on Flint and Feather: The Life and Times of E. Pauline Johnson Tekahionwake by Charlotte Gray (Arc 51)
- Brief Review: Christopher Doda on Happyland by Kevin Connolly (Arc 51)
- Judge: David Staines
2003 (Initial year – for 25th anniversary)
- Feature Review: Harold Rhenisch on Shani Mootoo and Joy Kogawa (Arc 48)
- Brief Review: Heather Spears on Karen Solie (Arc 49)
- Judge: Barbara Carey
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