Marianne Boruch has been named the recipient of the 2026 Jackson Poetry Prize, honoring her exceptional talent as a poet with a cash award of $100,000. The prize, established in 2006 through a donation from the Liana Foundation, is awarded annually by Poets & Writers and is named after the John and Susan Jackson family. Boruch is the twentieth poet to receive this prestigious award.
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In the judges' citation, they praised Boruch’s work, stating, “In poems rhetorically sinuous and compelling, Marianne Boruch renders luminous the expanse and reach of human thought.” The judging panel comprised poets Major Jackson, Cole Swensen, and Afaa Michael Weaver. Notably, Major Jackson is not related to the Jackson family after whom the prize is named.
Boruch is an emeritus professor of creative writing at Purdue University, where she established the MFA program and taught for over thirty years. She is the author of eleven poetry collections, including her latest, "Bestiary Dark" (2021). Her previous accolades include the Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award for "The Book of Hours" (2011) and various fellowships.
Upon receiving news of her award, Boruch expressed surprise, asking, “Are you kidding?” The judges commended her broad range of themes and deep curiosity in her poetry, particularly her exploration of pressing issues such as environmental health and spirituality. They remarked on how her work fosters a greater understanding and connection to the world, encouraging readers to think more consciously.
The Jackson Poetry Prize, noted for its generous award, has historically recognized poets who subsequently received further honors. Notable past winners include Elizabeth Alexander, who read at President Obama's inauguration in 2009, and Arthur Sze, the current U.S. Poet Laureate.
Marianne Boruch’s collection of works also includes essays and hybrid memoirs. Her numerous fellowships have been awarded by the Guggenheim Foundation, the National Endowment for the Arts, and others. She has served on the Warren Wilson College MFA faculty since 1988 and continues to publish in prestigious venues such as the New York Review of Books and the New Yorker.