Poet and Radcliffe Fellow Sarah Howe wins TS Eliot Prize with “amazing” debut collection

Poet and Radcliffe Fellow Sarah Howe, whom judges say “brings new possibilities to British poetry,” was awarded the TS Eliot poetry prize. As the Frieda L. Miller Fellow at the Radcliffe Institute, Howe won the prize for her collection “Loop of Jade,” which examines her British and Chinese heritage.

It is the first time in the history of the award that a debut collection has won the prize.

The Poetry Book Society Judge and Chair Pascale Petit said: “In a year with an incredibly ambitious and diverse shortlist, it was difficult to choose the winner. However Sarah Howe’s “Loop of Jade” shone with its startling exploration of gender and injustice through place and identity, its erudition, and powerful imagery as well as her daring experiment with form. She brings new possibilities to British poetry.”