A new poetry prize, the Sarah Broom Poetry Prize, has been announced at the launch of Sarah Broom’s posthumous collection of poems Gleam (AUP).

The prize has been founded by Sarah’s husband Michael Gleissner and friends in memory of the poet and literary critic, who died in April 2013 just before Gleam was printed. The prize is intended to celebrate the role of poetry in the cultural life of New Zealanders and to encourage and financially support a New Zealand recipient in the completion of a full manuscript of original poetry.

“The Sarah Broom Poetry Prize has been inspired by the spirit of imagination, freedom and determination that marked Sarah’s life and work, and by the role that poetry can play in the emotional and cultural lives of all New Zealanders” said Michael Gleissner.

“For Sarah, as for many others, poetry was a means to live through experiences of joy and tragedy, and a means to articulate the deepest connections between the self, family, community, and the New Zealand landscape.”

The prize will be awarded annually, based on the submission of 6–8 poems (at least 5 unpublished). Entries will open on 3 February 2014 and close 28 March 2014 and the inaugural Sarah Broom Poetry Prize will be awarded in May 2014.

Fundraising for the Poetry Prize is now underway and will determine the final amount awarded to the recipient. People can contribute to the fund by emailing trustfund@sarahbroom.co.nz.

A panel of judges will assess entries and compile a shortlist. Each year, a guest judge will select the overall winner.

The guest judge for the inaugural Sarah Broom Poetry Prize will be Sam Hunt.

The judging panel comprises poet, scholar and reviewer Paula Green, academic Sarah Ross, poet and academic Jennifer Crawford, London based academic Pat Palmer, and Michael Gleissner.