Bay of Islands poet Glenn Colquhoun has won the $60,000 International Institute of Modern Letters prize, New Zealand's richest literary award.

Colquhoun’s published works include the children’s book Uncle Glenn and Me and three lauded poetry collections: The Art of Walking Upright, An Explanation of Poetry to my Father and Playing God.

The Art of Walking Upright won the Jessie Mackay NZSA Best First Book of Poetry Award in the 2000 Montana New Zealand Book Awards, and Playing God was the Poetry Category winner in the 2003 awards.

Associate Arts Minister Judith Tizard presented the award on Saturday night at a ceremony in Wellington’s St James Theatre.

Colquhoun was the hot favourite to win the IIML prize, ahead of other shortlisted authors William Brandt, Kate Camp and Geoff Cush.