A city councillor for St. John's, N.L., has won the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø First Book Prize, administered by the Griffin Poetry Prize.
Maggie Burton received the $10,000 award for her poetry collection "Chores."
Judges describe the collection as both "traditional and inventive."
In addition to serving her second term as councillor-at-large in the capital city of Newfoundland and Labrador, Burton is a professional violinist.
Burton is just the second winner of the ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø First Book Prize, which the Griffin Poetry Prize established after combining its ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø and international categories into one global winner.
It goes to the best debut poetry collection by a ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø or permanent resident of Canada published in English in the previous year.
This report by ºÚÁϳԹÏÍø was first published May 29, 2024.
