Ben von Jagow has made the 2020 CBC Poetry Prize longlist for Goalie.

The winner of the 2020 CBC Poetry Prize will receive $6,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts, have their work published on CBC Books and have the opportunity to attend a two-week writing residency at the Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity. Four finalists will each receive $1,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts and have their work published on CBC Books.

The shortlist will be announced on Nov. 5 and the winner will be announced on Nov. 12.

Ben von Jagow is a writer and poet from Stittsville, Ont. who currently lives in Stockholm. He is a graduate of Western University and has had work featured in literary journals such as The Antigonish Review, Amsterdam Quarterly, Marathon Literary Review, The Stockholm Review of Literature and The Literary Review of Canada.

"The man behind the mask."

"Sport is, and always has been, a part of my life, and like most Canadians, it began with hockey. Like countless others, I was molded and shaped in the arena, in the dressing room, on the outdoor rink. This project was a way for me to share some of those memories and connect with that part of our culture."

The position permitted freedom, I learned that from Hasek.
No one got on your case so long as the puck stayed out.

The jump to Midget was a spring dive.
Players changing from Intermediate to Senior sticks
lightweight composites with 100 Flex
shots came quicker.
I wanted time to acclimatize but the team panicked
brought in a guy from across the river to polish my edges.

Coach Richard, pronounced like the Rocket
apparently had quite the stint in the Q, the Nordiques eyeing him
then one of his teammates wipes a blade, hurls the slush
at his goalie and takes out an eye. No more NHL.
A lifetime of pucks to the body and what does him in
is a bit of melted snow, some post-practice shenanigans.
Christ, no wonder he was so bitter.

The winner of the 2020 CBC Poetry Prize will receive $6,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts, have their work published on CBC Books and attend a two-week writing residency at the Banff Centre for the Arts and Creativity. Four finalists will each receive $1,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts and have their work published on CBC Books.

The 2021 CBC Nonfiction Prize will open in January. The 2021 CBC Poetry Prize will open in April.