National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry explained

The National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry, established in 1975,^[1] is an annual American literary award presented by the National Book Critics Circle (NBCC) to promote "the finest books and reviews published in English".^[2] Awards are presented annually to books published in the U.S. during the preceding calendar year in six categories: Fiction, Nonfiction, Poetry, Memoir/Autobiography, Biography, and Criticism.^[3]

Books previously published in English are not eligible, such as re-issues and paperback editions. They do consider "translations, short story and essay collections, self-published books, and any titles that fall under the general categories".

The judges are the volunteer directors of the NBCC, who are 24 members serving rotating three-year terms, with eight elected annually by the voting members, namely "professional book review editors and book reviewers".^[4] Winners of the awards are announced each year at the NBCC awards ceremony in conjunction with the yearly membership meeting, which takes place in March.

Recipients

National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry winners and finalists

Year	Author	Title	Result	Ref.
1975		Self-portrait in a Convex Mirror	Winner	^[5]
1976		Geography III	Winner	^[6]
1977		Day by Day	Winner	^[7]
1978		Hello, Darkness: The Collected Poems of L. E. Sissman	Winner	^[8]
1979		Ashes: Poems New and Old and 7 Years From Somewhere	Winner
1980		Sunrise	Winner	^[9]
1981		A Coast of Trees	Winner
1982		Antarctic Traveler	Winner	^[10]
1983		The Changing Light at Sandover	Winner
1984		The Dead and the Living	Winner	^[11]
1985		The Triumph of Achilles	Winner
1986		Wild Gratitude	Winner	^[12]
1987		Flesh and Blood	Winner
1988		The One Day	Winner	^[13]
1989		Transparent Gestures	Winner
1990		Bitter Angel	Winner	^[14]
1991		Heaven and Earth: A Cosmology	Winner	^[15]
1992		Collected Shorter Poems 1946–1991	Winner
	David Ferry	Gilgamesh	Finalist
	Maxine Kumin	Looking for Luck
	Sharon Olds	The Father
	K.C. Williams	A Dream of Mine
1993		My Alexandria	Winner
	Donald Hall	The Museum of Clear Ideas	Finalist
	Linda Hogan	The Book of Medicines
	Audre Lorde	The Marvelous Arithmetic of Distance
	Jack Marshall	Sesame
1994		Rider	Winner	^[16]
	Dorianne Laux	What We Carry	Finalist
	Marilyn Hacker	Winter Numbers
	Philip Levine	The Simple Truth
	Mary Jo Salter	Sunday Skaters
1995		Time and Money	Winner
	Lynda Hull	The Only World	Finalist
	James Merrill	A Scattering of Salts
	Carl Phillips	Cortege
	Ellen Bryant Voigt	Kyrie
1996		Sun Under Wood	Winner	^[17]
	Stephen Dunn	Loosestrife	Finalist
	Martín Espada	Imagine the Angels of Bread
	Jane Shore	Music Minus One
	C.K. Williams	The Vigil
1997		Black Zodiac	Winner
	Frank Bidart	Desire	Finalist
	Brenda Hillman	Loose Sugar
	Mark Jarman	Questions for Ecclesiastes
	Sonya Sanchez	Does Your House Have Lions?
1998		The Bird Catcher	Winner	^[18]
	Pamela White Hadas	Self-Evidence	Finalist
	Thylias Moss	Last Chance for the Tarzan Holler
	Anne Carson	The Autobiography of Red: A Novel in Verse
	Yusef Komunyakaa	Thieves of Paradise
1999		Ordinary Words	Winner	^[19]
	Rafael Campo	Diva	Finalist
	Tory Dent	HIV, Mon Amour
	Rita Dove	On the Bus With Rosa Parks
	Susan Kingsolving	Dailies & Rushes
2000		Carolina Ghost Woods	Winner	^[20]
	Michael Collier	The Ledge	Finalist
	Anne Carson	Men in the Off Hours
	Yusef Komunyakaa	Talking Dirty to the Gods
	Davis McCombs	Ultima Thule
2001		Saving Lives	Winner	^[21]
	Louise Gluck	The Seven Ages	Finalist
	Bob Hicok	Animal Soul
	Jane Hirshfield	Given Sugar, Given Salt
	Czeslaw Milosz	A Treatise on Poetry
2002		Early Occult Memory Systems of the Lower Midwest	Winner	^[22]
	Major Jackson	Leaving Saturn	Finalist	^[23]
	Harryette Mullen	Sleeping With the Dictionary
	Sharon Olds	The Unswept Room
	Adam Zagajewski	Without End: New and Selected Poems
2003		Columbarium	Winner	^[24]
	Carolyn Forche	Blue Hour	Finalist	^[25]
	Tony Hoagland	What Narcissism Means to Me
	Venus Khoury-Ghata	She Says
	Mary Szybist, tr. Marilyn Hacker	Granted
2004		The School Among the Ruins	Winner	^[26]
	Brigit Pegeen Kelly	The Orchard	Finalist
	D.A. Powell	Cocktails
	James Richardson	Interglacial
	Gary Snyder	Danger on Peaks
2005		Refusing Heaven	Winner	^[27]
	Simon Armitage	The Shout	Finalist
	Blas Manuel de Luna	Bent to the Earth
	Richard Siken	Crush
	Ron Slate	The Incentive of the Maggot
2006		Tom Thomson in Purgatory	Winner	^[28]
	Daisy Fried	My Brother is Getting Arrested Again	Finalist
	Miltos Sachtouris	Poems (1945-1971)
	Frederick Seidel	Ooga-Booga
	W.D. Snodgrass	Not for Specialists: New and Selected Poems
2007		Elegy	Winner	^[29]
		Modern Life	Finalist
		New Poems
		Sleeping and Waking
		The Ballad of Jamie Allan
2008		Half the World in Light	Winner (tie)	^[30]
		Sleeping it Off in Rapid City
		Human Dark with Sugar	Finalist
		Sleeping it Off in Rapid City
		Sources
	with John Ashbery (trans.)	The Landscapist
2009		Versed	Winner	^[31]
		A Village Life	Finalist
		Captive Voices: New and Selected Poems, 1960–2008
		Chronic
		Museum of Accidents
2010		One With Others	Winner	^[32]
		Lighthead	Finalist
		Nox
		The Best of It
		The Eternal City
2011		Space, In Chains	Winner	^[33]
		Core Samples from the World	Finalist	^[34]
		Devotions
		Kingdom Animalia
		The Chameleon Couch
2012		Useless Landscape, or A Guide for Boys	Winner	^[35]
		Bewilderment: New Poems and Translations	Finalist	^[36]
		Fragile Acts
		Olives
		On the Spectrum of Possible Deaths
2013		Metaphysical Dog	Winner	^[37]
		Blowout	Finalist	^[38]
		Elegy Owed
		Milk and Filth
		Stay, Illusion
2014			Winner	^[39]
		Abide	Finalist
		Once in the West
		Prelude to Bruise
		The Essential Hits of Shorty Bon Bon
2015		Catalogue of Unabashed Gratitude	Winner
		Bright Dead Things	Finalist	^[40]
		How to Be Drawn
		What About This: Collected Poems of Frank Stanford
2016		House of Lords and Commons	Winner	^[41]
		At the Foundling Hospital	Finalist	^[42]
		Blackacre
		Olio
		Works and Days
2017		Whereas	Winner	^[43]
		Directions for Use	Finalist	^[44]
		Earthling
		Fourth Person Singular
		The Darkness of Snow
2018		The Carrying	Winner
		American Sonnets for My Past and Future Assassin	Finalist
	with Clare Cavanagh (trans.)	Asymmetry
		Holy Moly Carry Me
		Still Life with Two Dead Peacocks and a Girl
2019		Magical Negro	Winner	^[45]
		Deaf Republic	Finalist
		Doomstead Days
		Dunce
		The Tradition
2020		Here Is the Sweet Hand	Winner	^[46]
		Homie	Finalist	^[47]
		Imperial Liquor
		Obit
		The Shore
2021		Frank: Sonnets	Winner
		Ceive	Finalist	^[48]
		Cultish
		The Renunciations: Poems
		The Rinehart Frames
2022	Cynthia Cruz	Hotel Oblivion	Winner
	Paul Hlava Ceballos	banana []	Finalist	^[49]
	David Hernandez	Hello I Must Be Going
	Mosab Abu Toha	Things You May Find Hidden in My Ear
	Bernadette Mayer	Milkweed Smithereens
2023	Kim Hyesoon	Phantom Pain Wings	Winner
	Romeo Oriogun	The Gathering of Bastards	Finalist	^[50]
	Robyn Schiff	Information Desk
	Charif Shanahan	Trace Evidence

See also

• Ivan Sandrof Lifetime Achievement Award
• John Leonard Prize
• National Book Critics Circle Awards
• National Book Critics Circle Award for Biography
• National Book Critics Circle Award for Criticism
• National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction
• National Book Critics Circle Award for Memoir and Autobiography
• National Book Critics Circle Award for Nonfiction
• Nona Balakian Citation for Excellence in Reviewing

External links

• of NBCC

Notes and References

1. News: 20 BOOKS NOMINATED FOR CRITICS' AWARDS . The New York Times . 5 December 1975 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220204125334/https://www.nytimes.com/1975/12/05/archives/20-books-nominated-for-critics-awards.html . 4 February 2022 . 4 February 2022 .
2. News: THE LITERARY VIEW . The New York Times . 12 February 1978 . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220204125915/https://www.nytimes.com/1978/02/12/archives/the-literary-view-circles-within-circles.html . 4 February 2022 . 4 February 2022 . Leonard . John .
3. Web site: National Book Critics Circle announces new award category . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220204124216/https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2013/05/29/national-book-critics-circle-announces-new-award-category/ . 4 February 2022 . 4 February 2022 . washingtonpost.com .
4. Web site: Membership. 2022-01-24. National Book Critics Circle. en-US.
5. Web site: Fraser. C. Gerald. 1976-01-09. National Book Critics Circle Gives First Awards. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220203200240/https://www.nytimes.com/1976/01/09/archives/national-book-critics-circle-gives-first-awards.html. 2022-02-03. 2022-02-03. The New York Times.
6. Web site: 1977-01-07. Book Critics Circle Announces Prizes In Four Categories. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220203201314/https://www.nytimes.com/1977/01/07/archives/book-critics-circle-announces-prizes-in-four-categories.html. 2022-02-03. 2022-02-04. The New York Times.
7. Web site: Mitgang. Herbert. 1978-01-12. Book Critics Circle Picks Best in 4 Categories. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220203202417/http://web.archive.org/screenshot/https://www.nytimes.com/1978/01/12/archives/book-critics-circle-picks-best-in-4-categories-vote-reported-close.html. 3 February 2022. 3 February 2022. The New York Times.
8. Web site: Mitgang. Herbert. 1978-12-20. 25 Books Nominated for Critics' Prize. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20180317171636/https://www.nytimes.com/1978/12/20/archives/25-books-nominated-for-critics-prize-criticism.html. 2018-03-17. 2022-02-03. The New York Times.
9. Web site: Mitgang. Herbert. 1981-01-06. Book Critics Circle Announces '81 Awards. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220204055918/https://www.nytimes.com/1981/01/06/books/book-critics-circle-announces-81-awards.html. 2022-02-04. 2022-02-04. The New York Times.
10. Web site: McDowell. Edwin. 1983-01-11. 'George Mills' Fiction Winner. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220204060528/https://www.nytimes.com/1983/01/11/books/george-mills-fiction-winner.html. 2022-02-04. 2022-02-04. The New York Times.
11. Web site: McDowell. Edwin. 1985-01-15. National Book Critics Circle Chooses Winners for 1984. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220204130946/https://www.nytimes.com/1985/01/15/books/national-book-critics-circle-chooses-winners-for-1984.html. 2022-02-04. The New York Times.
12. Web site: 1987-01-14. 'Kate Vaiden' Wins Book Critics Prize. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220204123030/https://www.nytimes.com/1987/01/14/books/kate-vaiden-wins-book-critics-prize.html. 2022-02-04. 2022-02-04. The New York Times.
13. Web site: McDowell. Edwin. 1989-01-10. Critics Award Goes to Book On Dr. King. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220204121223/https://www.nytimes.com/1989/01/10/books/critics-award-goes-to-book-on-dr-king.html. 2022-02-04. 2022-02-04. The New York Times.
14. Web site: 1991-02-17. 'Rabbit at Rest' Wins Critics Circle Award. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220204115924/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1991-02-17-mn-2195-story.html?_amp=true. 2022-02-04. 2022-02-04. Los Angeles Times.
15. Web site: 1992-02-18. Book Critics Circle Awards. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220204115424/https://www.nytimes.com/1992/02/18/books/book-critics-circle-awards.html. 2022-02-04. 2022-02-04. The New York Times.
16. Web site: 1995-03-05. Critics' Choice. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220204114101/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1995-03-05-bk-38812-story.html?_amp=true. 2022-02-04. 2022-02-04. Los Angeles Times.
17. Web site: The Associated Press. 1997-03-20. Angela's Ashes' Wins a Critics Circle Award. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220204112709/https://www.nytimes.com/1997/03/20/arts/angela-s-ashes-wins-a-critics-circle-award.html. 2022-02-04. 2022-02-04. The New York Times.
18. Web site: Ramirez. Anthony. 1999-03-09. Book Critics Circle Awards Are Given. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220204111559/https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/library/books/030999nat-book-awards.html. 2022-02-04. 2022-02-04. The New York Times.
19. Web site: Barnes. Julian E.. 2000-03-14. 'Motherless Brooklyn' Wins Book Critics Circle Prize. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220204103621/https://www.nytimes.com/2000/03/14/nyregion/motherless-brooklyn-wins-book-critics-circle-prize.html. 2022-02-04. 2022-02-04. The New York Times.
20. Web site: Shattuck. Kathryn. 2001-03-13. Jim Crace's Layered 'Being Dead' Wins Critics Circle Fiction Award. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220204104330/https://www.nytimes.com/2001/03/13/nyregion/jim-crace-s-layered-being-dead-wins-critics-circle-fiction-award.html. 2022-02-04. 2022-02-04. The New York Times.
21. Web site: Smith. Dinitia. 2002-03-12. National Book Critics Circle Honors 'Austerlitz'. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220204093253/https://www.nytimes.com/2002/03/12/nyregion/national-book-critics-circle-honors-austerlitz.html. 2022-02-04. 2022-02-04. The New York Times.
22. Web site: Smith. Dinitia. 2003-02-27. 'Atonement' Wins Book Critics Award. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220204104900/https://www.nytimes.com/2003/02/27/nyregion/atonement-wins-book-critics-award.html. 2022-02-04. 2022-02-04. The New York Times.
23. Web site: 2002 . 2024-10-22 . National Book Critics Circle . en-US.
24. Web site: The Associated Press. 2004-03-06. Known World' Wins Book Critics' Award. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220204105439/https://www.nytimes.com/2004/03/06/arts/known-world-wins-book-critics-award.html. 2022-02-04. 2022-02-04. The New York Times.
25. Web site: 2003 . 2024-10-22 . National Book Critics Circle . en-US.
26. Web site: Wyatt. Edward. 2005-03-22. Sales Jump for a Book Critics' Winner. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220204110151/https://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/22/books/sales-jump-for-a-book-critics-winner.html. 2022-02-04. 2022-02-04. The New York Times.
27. Web site: 2005 . 2024-10-22 . National Book Critics Circle . en-US.
28. Web site: Bosman. Julie. 2007-03-09. National Book Critics Circle Winners. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220204062659/https://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/09/us/09brfs-NATIONALBOOK_BRF.html. 2022-02-04. 2022-02-04. The New York Times.
29. Web site: Rich. Motoko. 2008-03-07. National Book Critics Circle Awards. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220204063401/https://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/07/us/07brfs-NATIONALBOOK_BRF.html. 2022-02-04. 2022-02-04. The New York Times.
30. Web site: Rich. Motoko. 2009-03-13. Book Critics Awards. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220204073819/http://web.archive.org/screenshot/https://www.nytimes.com/2009/03/14/books/14arts-BOOKCRITICSA_BRF.html. 2022-02-04. 2022-02-04. The New York Times.
31. Web site: Rich. Motoko. 2010-03-11. National Book Critics Circle Award Winners Announced. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20201122170822/https://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/03/11/national-book-critics-circle-award-winners-announced/. 2020-11-22. 2022-02-04. The New York Times.
32. Web site: 2011-03-10. Jennifer Egan and Isabel Wilkerson Win National Book Critics Circle Awards. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220204065246/https://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/03/10/jennifer-egan-and-isabel-wilkerson-win-national-book-critics-circle-awards/?mtrref=undefined&gwh=0C905056A2A51B17D27C807E0561E8DE&gwt=pay&assetType=PAYWALL. 2022-02-04. 2022-02-04. The New York Times.
33. Web site: 2012-03-08. Edith Pearlman Wins National Book Critics Award. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220204081936/https://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/03/08/edith-pearlman-wins-national-book-award/%3Fmtrref%3Dundefined%26gwh%3D5160CB8616465DB9FF4CDE44F1A892D0%26gwt%3Dpay%26assetType%3DPAYWALL. 2022-02-04. 2022-02-04. The New York Times.
34. Web site: 2012-01-21. National Book Critics Circle announces finalists for 2011 awards. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220204080640/https://latimesblogs.latimes.com/jacketcopy/2012/01/national-book-critics-circle-announce-awards-finalists.html. 2022-02-04. 2022-02-04. Los Angeles Times.
35. Web site: Tobar. Hector. 2013-02-28. National Book Critics Circle Award winners announced. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220203223812/https://www.latimes.com/books/la-xpm-2013-feb-28-la-et-jc-national-book-critics-circle-award-winners-announced-20130228-story.html?_amp=true. 2022-02-03. 2022-02-03. Los Angeles Times.
36. Web site: Tobar. Hector. 2013-01-14. National Book Critics Circle announces finalists for awards. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20211201021824/https://www.latimes.com/books/la-xpm-2013-jan-14-la-et-jc-national-book-critics-circle-finalists-20130114-story.html?_amp=true. 2021-12-01. 2022-02-03. Los Angeles Times.
37. Web site: Tobar. Hector. 2014-03-13. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie among National Book Critics Award winners. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220203231823/http://web.archive.org/screenshot/https://www.latimes.com/books/jacketcopy/la-et-jc-chimamanda-ngozi-adichie-national-book-critics-circle-award-winners-announced-20140313-story.html?_amp=true. 2022-02-03. 2022-02-04. Los Angeles Times.
38. Web site: Kellogg. Carolyn. 2014-01-13. National Book Critics Circle announces 2013 awards finalists. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220203230455/http://web.archive.org/screenshot/https://www.latimes.com/books/la-xpm-2014-jan-13-la-et-jc-national-book-critics-circle-announces-2013-awards-finalists-20140113-story.html?_amp=true. 2022-02-03. 2022-02-03. Los Angeles Times.
39. Web site: Alter. Alexandra. 2015-03-12. 'Lila' Honored as Top Fiction by National Book Critics Circle. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220204071805/https://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/13/books/lila-by-marilynne-robinson-honored-as-top-fiction-by-national-book-critics-circle.html. 2022-02-04. 2022-02-04. The New York Times.
40. Web site: 2016-01-18. National Book Critics Circle Announces Award Nominees. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220204052818/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/19/business/national-book-critics-circle-announces-award-nominees.html. 2022-02-04. 2022-02-04. The New York Times.
41. Web site: 2017-03-16. Louise Erdrich, Matthew Desmond Among Winners of National Book Critics Circle Awards. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220204083030/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/03/16/arts/louise-erdrich-matthew-desmond-among-winners-of-national-book-critics-circle-awards.html. 2022-02-04. 2022-02-04. The New York Times.
42. Web site: 2017-01-17. Zadie Smith and Michael Chabon Among National Book Critics Circle Finalists. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220204134538/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/17/arts/zadie-smith-and-michael-chabon-among-national-book-critics-circle-finalists.html. 2022-02-04. 2022-02-04. The New York Times.
43. Web site: 2018-03-15. The National Book Critics Circle winners are announced — and they're all women. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220203220807/http://web.archive.org/screenshot/https://www.latimes.com/books/la-et-jc-nbcc-winners-20180315-story.html?_amp=true. 2022-02-03. 2022-02-03. Los Angeles Times.
44. Web site: Temple. Emily. 2018-01-22. Here are the Finalists for the 2017 National Book Critics Circle Awards. 2022-01-25. Literary Hub. en-US.
45. Web site: 2020-03-12. National Book Critics Circle announces awards just in time for shut-in binge-reading. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210423041849/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/books/story/2020-03-12/national-book-critics-circle-award-winners. 2021-04-23. 2022-02-03. The New York Times.
46. Web site: 2021-03-25. National Book Critics Circle Names 2020 Award Winners. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20210830015304/https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/25/books/national-book-critics-circle-award-winners.html. 2021-08-30. 2022-02-03. The New York Times.
47. Web site: 2021-01-24. Here are the finalists for the 2020 National Book Critics Circle Awards. live. https://web.archive.org/web/20220203211848/http://web.archive.org/screenshot/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/books/story/2021-01-24/here-are-the-finalists-for-the-2020-national-book-critics-circle-awards. 2022-02-03. 2022-02-03. Los Angeles Times.
48. Web site: Pineda . Dorany . 2022-01-20 . Here are the finalists for the 2021 National Book Critics Circle Awards . live . https://web.archive.org/web/20220121025910/https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/books/story/2022-01-20/here-are-the-finalists-for-the-2021-national-book-critics-circle-awards?_amp=true . 2022-01-21 . 2022-02-04 . Los Angeles Times.
49. Web site: St. Martin . Emily . March 23, 2023 . Ling Ma, Isaac Butler and Morgan Talty among National Book Critics Circle Award winners . April 9, 2023 . Los Angeles Times.
50. Web site: 2023 . 2024-07-18 . National Book Critics Circle . en-US.