“The Ballad of Charlie Fiester” Finalist — 2025 Princemere Poetry Prize

“The Ballad of Charlie Fiester,” a forthcoming work by Klamath Basin author H. L. Delaney, has been selected as a Finalist for the Princemere Poetry Prize, a national award recognizing excellence in poetry.

“The Ballad of Charlie Fiester” is a narrative restoration centered on a Native child removed from his home on the Klamath Reservation and sent to the Chemawa Indian School in Oregon in the late 19th century. Aside from a burial record, Charlie’s life appears only faintly in the historical archive. Delaney’s work brings him back into focus through a blend of historical grounding, cultural awareness, and a deeply human portrayal that honors both the child and the broader truths of the boarding-school era.

This national finalist recognition brings attention not only to the literary achievement of the work but also to the continuing importance of truth-telling around the history of federal Indian boarding schools. Charlie’s story reflects a wider movement across Indian Country to recover the names and lived realities of the children who never returned home.

Basalt Sea Press is supporting the wider outreach of this work to Indigenous media, educational programs, and cultural institutions. For inquiries, interview requests, or advance reading access, please contact:

editorial@basaltseapress.com

About Basalt Sea Press:

Basalt Sea Press is an independent publisher dedicated to fiction, nonfiction, and mythic work rooted in the histories and cultures of the American West, with a particular focus on Indigenous narratives and restorative storytelling.