other people's clothes by Katie Clarke

2023 CBC Poetry Prize longlist

Image | Katie Clarke

Caption: Katie Clarke is a writer and artist from Ottawa who now splits their time between Halifax and Toronto. (Submitted by Katie Clarke)

Katie Clarke has made the 2023 CBC Poetry Prize longlist for other people's clothes.
The shortlist will be announced on Nov. 16 and the winner will be announced on Nov. 23.

About Katie Clarke

Katie Clarke (they/them) is a writer, theatremaker, and a settler in Kjipuktuk. Their poetry has been featured in Arc Poetry Magazine, Yolk Literary, Thimble Literary, Metatron Press and Mxogyny, and their chapbook Light Leaks is published with Dancing Girl Press. More of their creative work can be found on their website and (occasionally) on Instagram.

Entry in five-ish words

"transness, old friends, new clothes."

The poems' source of inspiration

"When I first started growing into my transness, I was extremely fortunate to spend most of my time surrounded by queer and trans chosen family in Kjipuktuk/Halifax. Leaving this place where my transness has been welcomed so tenderly and showing up authentically in different places (both geographic and social) can be challenging.
This poem is about my recognizing that it takes time and intention to create soft places to land - Katie Clarke
"This poem is about my recognizing that it takes time and intention to create soft places to land, and that reconnecting with old versions of myself and the people that knew those versions of me (and know and love me now) can be challenging and transformative."

First lines

I spend too long in other people's clothes and come back to find that mine don't fit me either. Without you, I forget how it feels to be queer in my body sometimes. Without all of you, I should say. There is no one you, like there is no one I.

About the 2023 CBC Poetry Prize

The winner of the 2023 CBC Poetry Prize will receive $6,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts(external link), a writing residency and have their work published on CBC Books(external link). Four finalists will each receive $1,000 from the Canada Council for the Arts(external link) and have their work published on CBC Books(external link).
If you're interested in the CBC Literary Prizes(external link), the CBC Nonfiction Prize opens in January and the CBC Poetry Prize opens in April.