The Griffin Trust, sponsor of the world’s richest prizes for poetry (C$80,000) has announced the 2004 shortlist in Canada.

'Forty thousand bucks is a king's ransom to a working poet,' observed Griffin trustee David Young, who announced the nominations. It's also a powerful magnet: a record 423 authors, of whom 187 are American, were considered by the Griffin jury.

The Canadian shortlist:

Dionne Brandt, Now You Care
Leslie Greentree, go-go dancing for Elvis
Anne Simpson, Loop

and the international shortlist:

Suji Kwock Kim, Notes from the Divided Country
David Kirby, The Ha-Ha
August Kleinzahler, The Strange Hours Travelers Keep
Louis Simpson, The Owner of the House

The winners will be announced on June 3.