Poet becomes first woman to scoop Forward best poem award twice

A writer has become the first woman to win a prestigious prize twice after scooping the award with a poem inspired by grief and Caribbean rituals.

Malika Booker's Libation was named best poem at the Forward Prizes for Poetry.

She said it was written in the Covid-19 lockdowns "when funeral rituals weren't possible", which made her think about what such ceremonies meant.

The Manchester Metropolitan University lecturer added that being "recognised" by her peers meant "so much".

The university said the awards were the most "widely coveted" for new poetry published in the UK and Ireland and honoured "excellence in contemporary poetry".

They said Booker's poem was about "loss, funeral wakes and how ancient traditions are handed down".

They also said it was about the act of "libation - a drink poured in honour of the dead - that young people re-enact, despite not fully understanding its meaning".

Revealing her inspiration during the lockdown, Booker said: "It got me thinking about my ancestors and how young black boys today recreate the ritual of throwing alcohol on the ground at wakes.

"The epiphany for me was acknowledging black on black violence and the fragility of life."

She said she felt "honoured, grateful and overwhelmed" to be awarded the prize, as "being judged and recognised by my peers means so much".

"I wouldn't be where I am today without such a strong community of poets who've invested in me, and it was inspiring to see so many of the poets I've personally mentored at the ceremony," she added.

Judge Chris Redmond said Booker's work "reads like a drink".

He said it was a "slow pour of linguistic libation that funnels the reader down into the depths of ritual, grief, culture and society".

"It works hard to tread so lightly and holds all of this with tenderness and love," he added.

Booker first won the prize for best single poem at the annual awards in 2020 for The Little Miracles, a poem about caring for her mother in the aftermath of a stroke.

Booker is one of a number of Forward Prize winners who taught at Manchester Writing School, joining Professor Carol Ann Duffy, Professor Michael Symmons Roberts and Kim Moore.

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