I am pleased, honoured, proud, confused, shocked (and a whole host of other superlatives) to say I’ve been awarded Salt Publishing’s Crashaw Prize.

What this means is that by the end of 2010 you’ll have a full-length collection of Ryan Van Winkle poems available in the UK, US and Australia. Salt makes beautiful books and has a huge list of brilliant poets including local-favourites Rob A Mackenzie and Andrew Philip whose excellent books recently celebrated their one year anniversary. I am thrilled to join them and the other wonderful writers whom Salt publishes.

Salt works with over 400 authors and contributors and is now close to publishing its 1,000th ISBN.  Their books are stocked in over 1,000 bookshops around the world and are currently celebrating their 10th Anniversary.

I’m too dumbfounded to say much more about all this now.

I feel like a dog who has finally caught his own tail.

Woof, said Jack.

R xxl

ps: Thanks to everyone who has sent congratulations and words of kindness my way since the announcement. I totally appreciate that!