Grace Leven Prize for Poetry

The Grace Leven Prize for Poetry was an annual poetry award in Australia, given in the name of Grace Leven who died in 1922. It was established by William Baylebridge who "made a provision for an annual poetry prize in memory of 'my benefactress Grace Leven' and for the publication of his own work".[1] Grace was his mother's half-sister.[2]

The award is made to "the best volume of poetry published in the preceding twelve months by a writer either Australian-born, or naturalised in Australia and resident in Australia for not less than ten years".[2] It offers only a small monetary prize, but is highly regarded by poets.[3] It was first awarded in 1947,[4] with the recipient being Nan McDonald's Pacific Sea. In 2012 the prize was awarded for the final time.[5]

Award winners

2010s

Year Author Title Publisher Ref.
2012 Michael Brennan Autoethnographic Giramondo Publishing [6]
Laurie Duggan The Collected Blue Hills Puncher and Wattmann [6]
Toby Fitch Rawshock Puncher and Wattmann [6]
John Kinsella Jaguar's Dream Alma Books [6]
Michael Sharkey Another Fine Morning in Paradise Five Islands Press [6]
2011 Not awarded [7]
2010 LK Holt Patience, Mutiny John Leonard Press [8]
David Musgrave Phantom Limb John Leonard Press [8]
Petra White The Simplified World John Leonard Press [8]

2000s

Year Author Title Publisher Ref.
2009 Not awarded [7]
2008 Alan Wearne The Australian Popular Songbook Giramondo Publishing [7]
2007 Robert Adamson The Goldfinches of Baghdad Flood Editions [9]
2006 Alan Gould The Past Completes Me: Selected Poems 1973–2003 University of Queensland Press [9]
2005 Noel Rowe Next to Nothing Vagabond Press [9]
2004 Luke Davies Totem Allen and Unwin [10]
2003 Stephen Edgar Lost in the Foreground Duffy and Snellgrove [10]
2002 Kate Lilley Versary Salt Publishing [10]
2001 Geoff Page Darker and Lighter Five Islands Press [11]
2000 Not awarded [12]

1990s

Year Author Title Publisher Ref.
1999 Not awarded [13]
1998 Not awarded [13]
1997 Geoffrey Lehmann Collected Poems Heinemann [13]
1996 John Kinsella The Undertow: New and Selected Poems Arc Publications [13]
1995 Kevin Hart New and Selected Poems Angus and Robertson [13][14]
Rhyll McMaster Flying the Coop : New and Selected Poems 1972–1994 Heinemann [13]
Jemal Sharah Path of Ghosts: poems 1986–93 Heinemann [15]
1994 Not awarded
1993 Philip Hodgins The End of the Season Brindabella Press [16]
1992 Gary Catalano Empire of Grass University of Queensland Press [16]
Kevin Hart Peniel Golvan arts [14]
1991 Les Murray Dog Fox Field Angus and Robertson [17]
1990 Not awarded [16]

1980s

Year Author Title Publisher Ref.
1989 Dorothy Hewett A Tremendous World in Her Head Dangaroo Press [18]
1988 John Tranter Under Berlin University of Queensland Press [19]
1987 Elizabeth Riddell Occasions of Birds and Other Poems Brindabella Press [19]
1986 Rhyll McMaster Washing the Money : Poems with Photographs Angus and Robertson [19]
1985 Robert Gray Selected Poems 1963-1983 Angus and Robertson [20]
Chris Wallace-Crabbe The Amorous Cannibal Oxford University Press [20]
1984| Rosemary Dobson The Three Fates & Other Poems Hale and Iremonger [21]
1983 Peter Porter Collected Poems Oxford University Press [22]
1982| Vivian Smith Tide Country Angus and Robertson [23]
1981 Geoffrey Lehmann Nero's Poems: Translations of the Public and Private Poems of the Emperor Nero Angus and Robertson [24]
1980 Les Murray The Boys Who Stole the Funeral Angus and Robertson [25]

1970s

Year Author Title Publisher Ref.
1979 David Campbell The Man in the Honeysuckle Angus and Robertson [26]
1978 Bruce Dawe Sometimes Gladness: Collected Poems 1954–1978 Longman Cheshire [27]
1977 Robert Adamson Selected Poems Angus and Robertson [28]
1976 John Blight Selected Poems 1939–1975 Nelson [27]
1975 Gwen Harwood Selected Poems Angus and Robertson [29]
1974 David Malouf Neighbours in a Thicket University of Queensland Press [29]
1973 Rodney Hall A Soapbox Omnibus University of Queensland Press [29]
1972 Peter Skrzynecki Headwaters Lyre Bird Writers [30]
1971 Judith Wright Collected Poems, 1942–1970 Angus and Robertson [30]
James McAuley Collected Poems 1936–1970 Angus and Robertson [30]
1970 Bruce Beaver Letters to Live Poets South Head Press [30]

1960s

Year Author Title Publisher Ref.
1969 Randolph Stow A Counterfeit Silence: Selected Poems Angus and Robertson [31]
1968 David Campbell Selected Poems 1942–1968 Angus and Robertson [31]
1967 Douglas Stewart Collected Poems 1936–1967 Angus and Robertson [31]
1966 William Hart-Smith The Talking Clothes: Poems Angus and Robertson [32]
1965 Les Murray and Geoffrey Lehmann The Ilex Tree ANU Press [32]
1964 David Rowbotham All the Room Jacaranda Press [32]
1963 Ian Mudie The North-Bound Rider Rigby [33]
1962 R. D. Fitzgerald Southmost Twelve Angus and Robertson [33]
1961 Thomas Shapcott Time on Fire Jacaranda Press [34]
1960 Colin Thiele Man in a Landscape Rigby [35]

1950s

Year Author Title Publisher Ref.
1959 R. D. Fitzgerald The Wind at Your Door Talkarra Press [36]
1958 Geoffrey Dutton Antipodes in Shoes Edwards and Shaw [37]
1957 Leonard Mann Elegiac and Other Poems Cheshire [38]
1956 James McAuley A Vision of Ceremony Angus & Robertson [39]
1955 A. D. Hope The Wandering Islands Edwards and Shaw [40]
1954 John Thompson Thirty Poems Edwards and Shaw [41]
1953 Roland Robinson Tumult of the Swans Edwards and Shaw [42]
1952 R. D. Fitzgerald Between Two Tides Halstead Press [43]
1951 Rex Ingamells The Great South Land: An Epic Poem Georgian House [44]
1950 No award [44]

1940s

Year Author Title Publisher Ref.
1949 Judith Wright Woman to Man Angus & Robertson [45]
1948 Francis Webb A Drum for Ben Boyd Angus & Robertson [46]
1947 Nan McDonald Pacific Sea Angus & Robertson [47]

Notes

  1. ↑ Bonnin (1979)
  2. 1 2 Wilde et al (1994) p. 325
  3. ↑ AusLit News April–May 2007
  4. ↑ Munro & Sheahan-Bright (2006) p. 142
  5. ↑ "Toby Fitch's Rawshock wins Grace Leven Poetry Prize". Puncher & Wattmann. 23 July 2013. Archived from the original on 10 February 2022. Retrieved 10 February 2022.
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 "Toby Fitch's Rawshock wins Grace Leven Poetry Prize". Puncher and Wattmann. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  7. 1 2 3 "Austlit — Grace Leven Poetry Prize 2008-2012". Austlit. Archived from the original on 9 December 2023. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  8. 1 2 3 "Patience, Mutiny: L K Holt". John Leonard Press. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  9. 1 2 3 "Austlit — Grace Leven Poetry Prize 2005-2007". Austlit. Archived from the original on 12 February 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  10. 1 2 3 "Austlit — Grace Leven Poetry Prize 2002-2004". Austlit. Archived from the original on 12 February 2024. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  11. ↑ "Couple pay $2.12m for Mugga Way house". The Canberra Times, 17 February 2002. ProQuest 1016218447. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  12. ↑ "Austlit — Grace Leven Poetry Prize 1994-2001". Austlit. Retrieved 13 February 2024.
  13. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Austlit — Grace Leven Poetry Prize 1995-2001". Austlit. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  14. 1 2 Kevin Hart on AustLit database
  15. ↑ Jemal Sharah on Austlit database
  16. 1 2 3 "Austlit — Grace Leven Poetry Prize 1991-93". Austlit. Retrieved 12 February 2024.
  17. ↑ ""Booknotes"". The Sydney Morning Herald, 6 July 1991. ProQuest 2527007211. Retrieved 29 April 2026.
  18. ↑ "Dorothy Hewett on the Austlit database". Archived from the original on 31 July 2008. Retrieved 22 January 2009.
  19. 1 2 3 ""Booknotes"". The Sydney Morning Herald, 25 August 1990. ProQuest 3179756809. Retrieved 24 April 2026.
  20. 1 2 "Austlit — Grace Leven Prize 1985". Austlit. Archived from the original on 9 November 2023. Retrieved 9 November 2023.
  21. ↑ ""Poetry Prize for Rosemary Dobson"". Canberra Times, 30 October 1985, p29. Retrieved 23 July 2026.
  22. ↑ "Austlit — Collected Poems by Peter Porter". Austlit. Archived from the original on 3 September 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  23. ↑ "Austlit — Tide Country by Vivian Smith". Austlit. Archived from the original on 3 September 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  24. ↑ "Austlit — Nero's Poems: Translations of the Public and Private Poems of the Emperor Nero by Geoffrey Lehmann". Austlit. Archived from the original on 3 September 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  25. ↑ "Austlit — The Boys Who Stole the Funeral by Les Murray". Austlit. Archived from the original on 3 September 2023. Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  26. ↑ "Austlit – Grace Leven Prize for Poetry – 1979–1981". Austlit. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
  27. 1 2 "Austlit – Grace Leven Prize for Poetry – 1976–1978". Austlit. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
  28. ↑ "Printout". The Sydney Morning Herald, 10 February 1979. ProQuest 2525621377. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  29. 1 2 3 "Austlit – Grace Leven Prize for Poetry – 1973–1975". Austlit. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
  30. 1 2 3 4 "Austlit – Grace Leven Prize for Poetry – 1970–1972". Austlit. Retrieved 22 July 2026.
  31. 1 2 3 "Austlit – Grace Leven Prize for Poetry – 1967–1969". Austlit. Retrieved 27 June 2026.
  32. 1 2 3 "Austlit – Grace Leven Prize for Poetry – 1964–1966". Austlit. Retrieved 27 June 2026.
  33. 1 2 "Austlit – Grace Leven Prize for Poetry – 1961–1963". Austlit. Retrieved 27 June 2026.
  34. ↑ ""Reading by Ipswich Poet"". The Canberra Times, 7 June 1968, p14. Retrieved 27 June 2026.
  35. ↑ "Austlit – Grace Leven Prize for Poetry – 1958–1960". Austlit. Retrieved 27 June 2026.
  36. ↑ ""Land Surveyor Wins £100 Poetry Prize"". The Sydney Morning Herald, 29 November 1960, p21. ProQuest 2524938955. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  37. ↑ "Poetry Prize to South Australia". The Age, 17 July 1959, p9. ProQuest 2520502731. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  38. ↑ "Poetry Prize Awarded". The Age, 6 January 1959, p8. ProQuest 2524971073. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  39. ↑ "Poetry Prize Awarded". The Sydney Morning Herald, 11 December 1957, p14. ProQuest 2525004453. Retrieved 8 December 2025.
  40. ↑ "Austlit – Grace Leven Poetry Prize – 1955–57". Austlit. Archived from the original on 21 February 2025. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  41. ↑ "Poetry Prize Awarded". The Sydney Morning Herald, 6 July 1955. ProQuest 2524953064. Retrieved 15 August 2026.
  42. ↑ "Austlit – Grace Leven Poetry Prize – 1952–54". Austlit. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  43. ↑ "Award". The Sun, 20 February 1953, p1. Retrieved 19 January 2025.
  44. 1 2 "Austlit – Grace Leven Poetry Prize – 1948–51". Austlit. Archived from the original on 1 February 2026. Retrieved 31 March 2026.
  45. ↑ "Judith Arundell Wright (1915–2000) by Georgina Arnott". Australian Dictionary of Biography. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  46. ↑ "The Grace Leven Award". The Bulletin, 23 February 1949, p2. Retrieved 5 August 2026.
  47. ↑ "Strength and Sunshine". The Sydney Morning Herald, 14 February 1948, p6. Retrieved 2 October 2025.

References

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