Carcanet poet Eavan Boland has been shortlisted for the 2007 Forward Prize for Best Collection for her recent book of poems, Domestic Violence. The shortlist for the UK's most valuable poetry prize was announced on Tuesday. The other shortlisted poets are John Burnside for Gift Songs (Cape), Sean O'Brien for The Drowned Book (Picador), Adam Thorpe for Birds with a Broken Wing (Cape), Luke Kennard for The Harbour Beyond the Movie (Salt) and Jack Mapanje for Beasts of Nalunga (Bloodaxe). The winner will be announced on Wednesday 3rd October, on the eve of National Poetry Day, at a ceremony in London. Visit www.forwardartsfoundation.org for more information.

This year's judges are poet and novelist Michael Symmons-Roberts (chair), Radiohead musician Colin Greenwood, poet and playwright Glyn Maxwell, performance poet Jean 'Binta' Breeze and the Guardian Unlimited Books Editor, Sarah Crown. Symmons-Roberts commented: 'These shortlists demonstrate the breadth and depth of poetry being written today. Every year is a tough year for the Forward judges, because British and Irish poetry is in such good health, but we were delighted - and daunted - by the power and diversity of this year's entries. Our final decisions will be hard but with shortlists like these the winners will be remarkable.'
 
Eavan Boland is considered one of the most distinguished figures in Irish poetry. Born in Dublin in 1944 and educated in London, New York, and Dublin, she has since held various teaching positions and published over ten books and poetry collections. Boland has received numerous awards for her writing, including a Lannan Foundation Award in Poetry and an American Ireland Fund Literary Award. She was shortlisted for the Forward Prize for Best Collection in 1994 with In a Time of Violence (Carcanet). She is currently Mabury Knapp Professor at Stanford University, where she is director of the Creative Writing Programme.

Domestic Violence was published in March. In September Carcanet will publish the Eavan Boland Sourcebook, an essential companion to the poetry, prose and critical writing of the acclaimed poet, which includes poems, interviews, reviews and biographical information.