Pat Lowther Memorial Award | The Canadian Encyclopedia

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Pat Lowther Memorial Award

Article by S. Marshall

Published Online March 13, 2012

Last Edited June 11, 2015

The Pat Lowther Memorial Award, a LITERARY PRIZE, was established in 1980 by THE LEAGUE OF CANADIAN POETS. It is awarded annually to a collection of POETRY written by a Canadian woman and published in the preceding year, and carries a $1000 prize.

Pat Lowther Memorial Award

The Pat Lowther Memorial Award, a literary prize, was established in 1980 by the League of Canadian Poets. It is awarded annually to a collection of poetry written by a Canadian woman and published in the preceding year, and carries a $1000 prize. It is presented each year at the League's Annual General Meeting.

The award honours the work and memory of Pat Lowther (born Patricia Louise Tinmuth), a "vital and visionary" poet whose work often addressed feminine experiences and both social and sexual politics. Lowther's publications established her as a significant voice in Canadian poetry; she also taught creative writing at the University of British Columbia and was active in political and arts organizations. She was murdered by her husband in 1975.

The Pat Lowther Award is one of Canadian poetry's significant honours. Its list of recipients includes many of the late 20th and 21st centuries' finest poets, including Bronwen Wallace (1984), Erin Mouré (1986), Gwendolyn MacEwen (1988), Lorna Crozier (1993, 1996), Dionne Brand (2003), Roo Borson (2005), and Karen Solie (2010).