News — August 28

The 2020 XYZ Prize for Innovation in Spoken Word Winners : Eloise Grills and Jaslyn Robertson

By Waffle Irongirl

The winners of the 2020 XYZ Prize for Innovation in Spoken Word are: Eloise Grills and Jaslyn Robertson (co-winners and collaborators), for their piece “Erotic Thriller”.

Highest Queensland Entry: Holly Robertson for “The Laundromat is a Peculiar Place for Philosophy”

Highly Commended:Sarah Temporal ‘Who Gave Birth to my Daughter’

Yasmin McQuade ‘Frida’s Eyebrows’

In its 6th year, the Arts Queensland XYZ Prize for Innovation in Spoken Word is Australia’s only national arts award that recognises the growing field of spoken word and is named after the former 2010 Arts Queensland Poet in Residence, Emily XYZ, who left a deep impression on many of today’s Queensland spoken word artists. It is open to applicants Australia-wide.

Winners: “Erotic Thriller” – Eloise Grills and Jaslyn Robertson

Eloise Grills is an award-winning writer, comics artist, poet and critic. Her first book of poetry, If you’re sexy and you know it slap your hams (Subbed In) was recently shortlisted for the Mary Gilmore award. She’s currently working on her first illustrated memoir with the support of the Australia Council. www.eloisegrills.com

Jaslyn Robertson is a young composer of electronic and chamber music who writes with unusual sounds, alternate tuning systems and new forms of notation. In 2020 she has received the Monash Animated Notation Ensemble commissioning prize and a commission for Ossicle duo supported by Creative Victoria and City of Melbourne. http://jaslyn.biz/

Highest Queensland Entry: “The Laundromat is a Peculiar Place for Philosophy” – Holly Robertson

Holly Robertson is a 19 year old poet and student from Brisbane. Writing for the last six