SWAMPSCOTT — The formal recognition was delayed by a year or so, but earlier this month, Swampscott author Enzo Silon Surin was finally honored with the Massachusetts Center for the Book Poetry Prize for his book, “When My Body Was A Clinched Fist.”
The debut collection of poetry, published by Black Lawrence Press, is about coming of age in New York during the 1990s and describes the poverty and violence of that time.
The award was originally announced in December 2021 for the 21st Annual Massachusetts Book Awards, but a ceremony wasn’t held until Jan. 18 at the Statehouse, and include three years of book awards.
State Rep. Jenny Armini, in a Facebook post, called it an “enormous honor” to present Surin with the award.
“Enzo Silon Surin’s very personal work brilliantly uses language to take us on a journey through the joys and sorrows of navigating a society that entwines body and identity,” Armini wrote. “It was a special treat to meet Enzo’s son, a lovely fourth-grader and an inspiration for his work.”
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