Kamau Brathwaite Awarded 2018 PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry

PEN America has announced its Lifetime Career and Achievement awards. Among those honored this year is poet and scholar Kamau Brathwaite. Of the awards, PEN writes:

In addition to PEN America’s book awards, which celebrate the best books published in a given year, PEN America also honors the outstanding careers and lifetime contributions to the world of literature and drama of our era. In 2018 we honor achievement in international literature, American fiction, literary sports writing, translation, and drama.  

Lifetime achievement and career honorees will be celebrated at the 2018 PEN America Literary Awards Ceremony on February 20, 2018, in NYC.

PEN goes on to acknowledge Brathwaite:

PEN/Voelcker Award for Poetry
To a poet whose distinguished and growing body of work represents a notable and accomplished presence in American literature.
JUDGES: Ed Roberson, Natalie Scenters-Zapico, Ocean Vuong

For his omnivorously synthetic, insistently local, sinuously syncopated, and consistently exciting work, including Elegguas, Born to Slow Horses, and Ancestors.

Head to PEN America to read about all the awardees.