Heaney wins 2010 Forward Prize

Seamus Heaney (who we’ve posted on a fair amount in the past: here and here) can at last add a Forward Prize to his long list of awards. Human Chain (available here) was named the best book of poetry published in the UK.

Julia Copus won the prize for best single poem, with ‘An Easy Passage.’ Read the poem at the Guardian. Hilary Menos won best first collection with Berg (available here).

From time to time, I’ll post an overview of the reviews for recent books – starting with Human Chain. Some are ecstatic, praising his humble style and unadorned, meditative verse. Others are less positive, citing the same qualities. Brandon Robshaw, in the Independent, sums up critical opinion: ‘The poetic voice is quiet and contemplative – perhaps a bit lacking in fireworks. But that is what admirers of Heaney love.’ The reviews:

• Adam O’Riordan, Telegraph: A
• Troy Jollimore, The Washington Post: A
• William Logan, NY Times Book Review: D
• Kate Kellaway, The Observer: A
• Brandon Robshaw, Independent: B
• Alan Taylor, The Herald Scotland: A
• John Boland, Irish Independent: C
• Eamon Grennan, The Irish Times: A

Friday links, Pulitzer edition

• Pulitzer Prize winners and finalists will be announced Monday, April 12. Some of Folio Found’s favorite recent books have won the prize. Claudia Emerson’s Late Wife, the 2006 awardee, comes to mind as among the top few books of the past decade.  The National Book Award tends to have a fair degree of overlap, so good bets are: Keith Waldrop, Transcendental Studies: A Trilogy; Rae Armantrout, Versed; Ann Lauterbach, Or to Begin Again; Carl Phillips, Speak Low; and Lyrae Van Clief-Stefanon, Open Interval.
• Derek Walcott describes the process of writing his poem “XLVIII” from Midsummer.
• Following recent turmoil in Kyrgyzstan, there are fears the US might lose its lease on the Manas airfield, used as a refueling station against the Taliban in Afghanistan. Non-US air bases cannot be named after US citizens, so the center’s name refers to the Epic of Manas, one of the few living oral epics.  If you want a taste, watch this short video about manaschi Sayakbai Karalaev.
• The Guardian looks at Gerard Manley Hopkins.

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