Leonard Cohen Poetry Prize

A project of ONLY POEMS (see other related projects).

Poet, novelist, singer/songwriter, artist, music producer, Buddhist monk, Leonard Cohen has won countless hearts.
I found his music six years ago and haven't listened to much else since. Now every morning when I drop my daughter off to preschool, she and I sing along to “Suzanne” on the way. Having spent countless hours with the Leonard Cohen Archive at the University of Toronto, I’m in awe of the devotion he had for his craft, blackening page after page.
His ability to blend the sacred and the profane, the spiritual and the sensual remains unmatched. We are indebted to him for bridging the world of literature with the world of music.
A couple of times in concerts, he sang this two-liner: “no, it wasn't any good, there's no reason why you should remember me” while having given us a million reasons to remember him.
We hope this will push people who are aware of Cohen's genius as a musician to turn to his poetry. It gives us deep honor to name this prize after the one and only Leonard Cohen and carry a part of his infinite legacy on our slim shoulders.
As Leonard would say, forgive the poverty of these words for they do not reflect the abundance of our gratitude.

Country of Publication & Year Established

United States

Established in 2024

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