WEST CHESTER, PA — West Chester University’s Poetry Center is proud to announce a Pop-Up Poetry Festival on April 14 and 15 to celebrate National Poetry Month. The event’s theme is “Renaissance” and invites participants to delve into the world of poetry through a lens of hope while they develop an appreciation for the craft of writing poetry. Festival highlights include a keynote address given by Patricia Smith, who was the recipient of the 2021 Ruth Lily Poetry Prize for Lifetime Achievement presented by the Poetry Foundation.
The festival will feature the Spencer Undergraduate Poetry Awards ceremony, outdoor readings and performances on the Academic Quad and various activities designed for emerging and established poets. The festival is free and open to the public.
WCU Poetry Center Director Cherise A. Pollard said she is excited about the festival, a new event for the University.
“Our Pop-Up Poetry Festival gives WCU students, faculty, as well as members of our community, the opportunity to explore the world of poetry as we celebrate each other and showcase our talents,” she said. “Please join us for a wonderful festival.”
The festival begins Sunday, April 14, with the Youth Poetry Contest Award Ceremony (Grades 3-12) at 2 p.m. in the Sciences and Engineering Center and the Commons (SECC) Room 108. A panel presentation follows the ceremony, “We Come Bearing Gifts: New Books from Four Midwestern Poets,” highlighting new works by poets Lee Bahan, Daniel Bourne, John Drury, and Allison Joseph.
The second day of the festival, April 15, includes a reading at Sykes Theater at 10 a.m., a poetry workshop with poet and former WCU Poet-in-Residence Ernest Hilbert at 2 p.m. in Main Hall 214, and culminates with the Spencer Awards Ceremony and Patricia Smith’s keynote address at 4 p.m. in SECC 108.
This year, the Poetry Center awarded more than $10,000 in prizes, highlighting the exceptional talent of students nationwide. Awards were distributed across several categories:
Iris Award:
- Winner: Madelyn Dietz, Princeton University, for Alice
- 2nd Place: Natalie Fraser, Swarthmore College, for Mango Man Ghazal
Myong Cha Son Haiku Award:
- Winner: Anya Chu, Swarthmore College, for Brighton Beach with Папочка
- 2nd Place: Mouse Page, Maryville University of St. Louis, for Mount Shasta
Sonnet Category:
- Winner: Noor Bukhari, West Chester University, for Nattergalen
Villanelle Category:
- Winner: Joey Richards, Rosemont College, for Hidden
Rhina P. Espaillat Award:
- Winner: Jacqueline Mendez, Western Washington University, for Si mañana amanezco con cuerpo diferente/If I were to wake up
Wil Mills Poetry Award
- Winner: Guy D’Annolfo for Late Winter and Early Spring in the Arboretum.
Hilbert, the WCU Fall 2023 Poet-in-Residence, judged the Spencer Undergraduate and Mills Awards.
“Submissions for the Spencer Awards this year were remarkably robust,” he said. “Equally remarkable is the exhilarating array of voices, techniques, and poetic forms to be found among them, some notably complex, confident, and accomplished.”
Another award being presented is the Donald Justice Poetry Prize, which was judged this year by keynote speaker Patricia Smith. The prize recognizes the distinguished American poet, teacher, and Pulitzer Prize winner, Donald Justice, and includes the winner’s manuscript being published by Autumn House Press.
This year’s winner is poet and essayist Sunni Brown Wilkinson for the manuscript Rodeo, to be published in 2025.
The Spencer Poetry Awards, created at the West Chester University Poetry Center in 2005 by Kean W. Spencer to honor his mother, Iris N. Spencer, play a significant role in supporting the poetry community at WCU.
Jen Bacon, Dean of the College of Arts and Humanities, said the Spencer family’s ongoing commitment to poetry has allowed the University to expand poetry programming.
“Their unwavering support enriches our students’ educational journey and significantly contributes to poetry flourishing within our university community and beyond,” she said.
Following the festival, the Languages and Cultures department, with the Poetry Center, will host “The First Poetry and Languages Day: A Multicultural Exchange” on April 16. Peruvian poet Roger Santiváñez will offer a keynote address of his insights into the poetic process. There will also be workshops taught by critically acclaimed Latinx poets David Acosta and Miguel Bacho. The event also includes a multilingual poetry recital, workshop, and class about the dynamics of translation, all emphasizing the vibrancy and diversity of world poetry. All events will be held in Mitchell Hall.
The West Chester University Poetry Center invites all to engage in these enriching experiences, which promise to inspire and foster a deep appreciation for poetry.
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