Poets Nathaniel Mackey and Claudia Rankine accepted 2016 Rebekah Johnson Bobbitt National Prizes for Poetry at an evening event at the Library of Congress on April 20. The Bobbitt Prize recognizes the lifetime achievement of an American poet or a distinguished book of poetry written by an American and published during the preceding two years. This year, prizes were awarded in both categories.
Mackey, the author of six poetry collections, most recently “Blue Fasa,” received a lifetime achievement award. Rankine received the 2016 prize for “Citizen: An American Lyric,” selected as the most distinguished book of poetry published in 2014 and 2015. Both poets read from their works.
View past winners of the Bobbitt Prize on the Library’s website.
Photos by Shawn Miller.