Prize Paradox

To the T S Eliot Prize preview event at the South Bank yesterday afternoon; then, in the evening, along to the Queen Elizabeth Hall to hear the short-listed poets read their work.

Penelope Shuttle, one of the judges this year, prefaced the afternoon discussion with a quote from part v of Eliot's "East Coker."  Here, Eliot meditates on the struggle involved in writing poetry, aware of all that has already been written but countering his doubts with:

'... but there is no competition -/ .../

For us, there is only the trying. The rest is not our business.'

So, no competition then. And yet, and yet: 'Competition is the way the world works' said Shuttle with quiet resignation, pointing out that poetry is full of paradox.

As far as literary prizes go, this one seems fairer than some. All 10 poets get a cheque for £1000 anyway; 1000 people filled to the QEH to hear the poets read - a record audience for any poet - and the Poetry Book Society's bookstall was doing a brisk trade. Hopefully, the books they sold will be read. And, with a well established Shadowing Scheme and now a Reading Group Scheme, the spotlight provided by this event shines a light on poetry beyond the prize.

So, how will the judges pick one from the ten?

As we embarked on a close reading of a single poem by each poet, Shuttle reached for Elizabeth Bishop's essay, "Writing Poetry Is An Unnatural Act." Bishop suggests that, for a poem to be successful it needs:

spontaneity
accuracy
mystery

Shuttle gave nothing away about where her preferences lay in the ten poems we read, but held the ring on a rich couple of hours of discussion.

By four o'clock we were all reshuffling the pack and struggling to get it down to say, five. 

On to the readings.

Simon Armitage, chair of the judges, opened the evening by reading Eliot's 'Journey of The Magi.' Valerie Eliot, who seems hardly to age, was in the audience, looking lively in a bright pink - fuchsia? - dress.  

It has to be said that the readings were uneven. Were some poets intimidated by the venue and the size of the audience? Is there a correlation between confidence in the reading voice and the confidence of the voice on the page?

As I write, the judges are making up their minds, but I'll stick my neck out - having looked at all ten books with the PRG, and on the basis of the readings last night the following gave me accuracy, spontaneity and mystery in spine-tingling proportions:

Jane Draycott

Sinead Morrissey

Sharon Olds

[read beautifully by Jo Shapcott, Olds was ill]

Alice Oswald

Christopher Reid

That anyone is forced to choose a single collection from this rich crop, is, indeed a paradox.

Who would you choose?

You can listen to all ten reading their work here ...