La poeta Denise Desautels gana el Premio de Poesía Jaime Sabines

Quebec poet Denise Desautels has been awarded the 2026 Jaime Sabines – Gatien Lapointe Poetry Prize for her work, Tombeau de Lou/Sepulcro de Lou. The jury reached a unanimous decision, praising the book as a mature work that explores themes of grief, memory, the deterioration of the body, and the complexities of human isolation.

The award-winning text, originally published in 2000 by Éditions du Noroît and later released in a 2015 bilingual edition by Mantis Editores, was translated by Silvia Pratt. The jury, composed of Luis Armenta Malpica, Louise Dupré, Silvia Eugenia Castillero, and Luis Vicente de Aguinaga, described the poem as having the piercing authenticity of a personal testimony.

During the ceremony held at the Seminario de Cultura Mexicana in Mexico City, Desautels accepted the award remotely. She emphasized the importance of poetry as a form of resistance and noted the thematic parallels between Quebecois and Mexican literature, particularly regarding the shared cultural presence of death.

Marco Antonio Campos, a member of the Seminario de Cultura Mexicana, highlighted Desautels’ extensive career, noting that she has authored more than 40 books of poetry, stories, and artist books. He described the winning work as a detailed prose poem documenting the illness and passing of a childhood friend.

The Jaime Sabines – Gatien Lapointe Poetry Prize, established in 2003, aims to strengthen literary ties between Mexico and Quebec by alternating recognition between poets from both regions. This year’s award, which includes a prize of 100,000 pesos, coincides with the centennial celebration of the birth of Mexican poet Jaime Sabines.

Article and image source: horacero.com.mx