Roger Robinson's statement on T.S. Eliot Prize win

Last night, Roger Robinson posted the following statement (and acknowledgements) on Facebook. We republish those comments here for the record.

All Praises To God for things that are Good.

I just want to thank everyone who has been so gracious with their compliments, time and energy around me winning the #tseliotprize2019. I want to thank all shortlisted poets and say to them it could have been any one of us and I’m massive fans of all the books: Ilya Kaminsky, Anthony Anazagorou, Fiona Benson, Sharon Olds, Jay Bernard, Karen Solie, Vidyan Ravinthiran, Deryn Rees Jones and Paul Farley. Please please buy their books and read them. It is good work in the world. It is important for me to state to some and reiterate to others that my win is a win not for myself but a community of writers and producers and family who have helped me to do my work in the world an I want to take this post to just quickly thank them because without them I would not be here:

Producers:
Speaking Volumes, B3Media,Apples and Snakes, Spread the Word, Arvon Foundation , The Arts Council thank you.

Mentors: (in person)
Bernardine Evaristo, Kwame Dawes, Pascale Petit , Mimi Khalvati, Nathalie Teitler, Kevin Martin

(from their work) Linton Kwesi Johnson, Sharon Olds, Terrance Hayes, Seamus Heaney, Sylvia Plath, Caroline Bird, Yousef Koumonyakaa, Anti-Pop Consortium, Tracy K Smith, Victoria Chang, Sean McCrea, Sekou Sundiata , Li Young Lee, Brother Resistance, David Rudder, Stalin, Chalkdust, Bunji Garlin. Thank you. Thank you.

Now that the prize is setting down I realise that I’m lucky to be in a position to advocate for wide range of poets published and unpublished.So here are a few I’d like to start with: Gboyega Odubanjo, Shade Joseph, Theresa Lola, Caleb Femi, Kareem-Perkins Brown, Rachel Long, Jacob Sam La Rose, Inua Ellams, Cecilia Knapp, Yomi Sode, Shade Joseph, Tishani Doshi, Liz Berry, Warsan Shire, Jacob Sam La Rose.

I’m at Apples And Snakes Jawdance tonight [Wednesday 15 January 2020] and it feels right to party with the organisation I started with 25 years ago It’s feels good. It feels full circle. See you there.
#tseliotprizewinner #aportableparadise
#malikaskitchen #happy #day3 #dreamscometrue #blackbritishpoets #formyfamily

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