Wow, this is both an incredible honor and a thrill. Shmehara is my debut poetry collection, and I initially worried that merging various artistic media might be too avant-garde to resonate within the creative writing world. But I’m glad to be proven wrong. What makes this recognition even more special is that English is my third language, so receiving an award from the birthplace of English is truly meaningful. This acknowledgment means the world to me. Thank you from the bottom of my heart.
