Golden Rose Poetry Award: Martha Collins

The Golden Rose, one of America’s oldest literary prizes, was inaugurated in 1919 by the Second Church of Boston as a way to celebrate May Day by holding a poetry tournament in the style of the French Provençal poets who vied in “Les Jeux Floraux” in the Middle Ages. The rose was styled after the Gold Rose for which the French poets vied and which is now kept in the Cluny Museum in Paris. The New England Poetry Club continues that tradition by awarding the Rose to the poet, who by their poetry and inspiration to and encouragement of other writers, has made a significant mark on American poetry.

The 2025 Golden Rose recipient, Martha Collins has published eleven books of poetry, most recently “Casualty Reports” and “Because What Else Could I Do.” The latter won the Poetry Society of America’s William Carlos Williams Award. Her website is marthacollinspoet.com. Join Collins and a violinist as they celebrate the Gold Rose award.