We’re delighted to once again publish the winner of the Mslexia Poetry Pamphlet Prize. The 2021 winner, chosen by our former poetry editor Amy Wack, is Sammy Weaver with her pamphlet Angola, America. 

Angola, America takes its name from a prison in Louisiana in the southern United Sates. In these strikingly original, thoroughly contemporary, and deeply moving poems, we are immersed in the world the inmates must endure. From the first poem, when we witness a home-made tattoo and understand that this scarring and incision is a “map in the connective tissue of pain and loss”, we are drawn into this world in a way that is carefully observed and beautifully empathetic. Read Sammy’s poem ‘[ exhibit : electric chair ]’ and a comment from Sammy on 'How she did it' on the Mslexia website. 

The Mslexia Poetry Pamphlet Prize is awarded annually for an unpublished pamphlet written by someone who self-identifies as a woman. The 2022 prize is now open for entries. The new judge is Imtiaz Dharker and the winning pamphlet will be published by Bloodaxe Books. Find out more here.