We’re psyched to announce the winners of the fourth annual Marystina Santiestevan First Book Prize and the sixth annual Minds on Fire Open Book Prize, but before that, we would like to express our sincere gratitude and admiration to all who entrusted their labor of love to us. It was an honor. Undoubtedly more than a few of the manuscripts that we read will be books one day. Keep pushing and grinding. Persevere. Be not discouraged or allow others to silence you. Your voice is important.
This year’s winners delivered the goods, revealing the sweet suave of poetry found under the debris of our lives. Both books are fiercely inventive and deeply authentic, exploring difficult subjects and feelings with courage, tenderness, and insight. If these books were people, you’d want to know them.
And without further ado, the winners are…
Marystina Santiestevan
first BOOK PRIZE
MINDS ON FIRE
OPEN BOOK PRIZE
Congratulations, Zackary and Laura!
The editor would like to thank everyone who helped with the project, especially Rachel Abramowitz, Brett Astor, Kate Lindroos, Kyle Constalie, Rose Davey, Kath Jesme, Danika Stegeman LeMay, Amy McNamara, Suphil Lee Park, Luke Pingel, William Stobb, and Devon Walker-Figueroa who read manuscripts until their heart’s content and then some; Scott Bruno, the designer with the mad skills and the exquisite taste; and, of course, our friend and collaborator, Bob Hicok. Thank you! We couldn’t have done without you. Seriously, we couldn’t have done it.