Trent alumnus Jeramy Dodds recently added another prestigious national writing award to a growing list of impressive recognitions for his inventive and powerful poetry – first prize in the poetry category of the CBC Literary Awards.

As the winner, Mr. Dodds received a $6,000 prize and had his award-winning collection of poetry, entitled Sundress, Fortress, published in the May 2008 issue of Air Canada’s En Route magazine.

In describing Mr. Dodds’ work, the jury said: “Strange, densely-layered, ruthless and funny by turns, these poems (with nods to Tranströmer, Lou Reed, Linnaeus, Heimlich, and Emily Dickinson) force us to go slow at their sudden ingrown turns. They are full of creature music surprises.” Members of the jury included renowned published poets Phil Hall, Sylvia Legris and Di Brandt.

Mr. Dodds is a graduate of Trent’s English and Anthropology programs and has noted that “Trent’s influence was huge” in shaping his poetry career. He currently lives in Orono, Ontario where he works as a research archeologist. His poetry has been translated into Finnish, French, Swedish, German and Icelandic and published in journals such as The Fiddlehead, Grain and Arc Poetry. In January 2007, Mr. Dodds won the annual Bronwen Wallace Memorial Award, valued at $1,000, and granted by the Writers’ Trust of Canada to a promising poet under the age of 35 for an unpublished collection of their work.

In the fall of 2008, Coach House Books will release Mr. Dodds’ first collection of poems, Crabwise to the Hounds.