T S Eliot Prize director Holifield retires after 20 years as Sims takes on role

Chris Holifield is retiring as director of the T S Eliot Prize and will be succeeded by Mike Sims. 

Holifield has run the prize for 20 years and will step down at the end of June.  

She said: “It has been a privilege and a pleasure to run the T S Eliot Prize for 20 years, 14 of them for the Poetry Book Society and six under the aegis of the T S Eliot Foundation, and to play a part in its growth in influence and prestige.” 

Sims has worked for arts and publishing organisations including A&C Black, Carcanet, Two-Can, Taylor & Francis, Bankside Gallery and the Fine Art Trade Guild. Most recently, he was publishing manager of The Poetry Society.

He said he was “delighted” to take on the role “managing such a celebrated and successful award”. He said: “It has had an unerring knack of bringing the very best poetry collections to the fore since it was founded in 1993 by the Poetry Book Society, and now under the careful guardianship of the T S Eliot Foundation. It has been in excellent hands throughout the decades, thanks to Chris Holifield. I look forward to following her example in the years ahead.” 

The judging panel for this year’s prize will be chaired by Jean Sprackland, alongside Hannah Lowe and Roger Robinson. They will be looking for the best new poetry collection written in English and published in 2022.  

Sprackland said: “The T S Eliot Prize is a vibrant and vital part of our poetry culture, and it’s an honour to act as chair of judges this year. Of all the pleasures involved, there are two I’m particularly excited about. First, the time spent reading, and the view that will offer of the poetry being written now, in all its breadth and variety. And second, the joy of sitting down with Hannah and Roger – two poets I greatly admire – and sharing our discoveries together.” 

The call for submissions will go out in June, with the submission window closing at the end of July. 

Shortlist readings will take place on 15th January 2023 at The Southbank Centre’s Royal Festival Hall with the winner announced the following day. 

The prize continues to be the most valuable in British poetry, with the winner receiving a cheque for £25,000 and the shortlisted poets getting £1,500. Last year’s winner was Joelle Taylor’s C+nto and Othered Poems (The Westbourne Press).