The Goldenrod Poetry Festival is an annual event sponsored by the English Club to recognize student poetry.

Any WKU student can submit an original work of poetry to the festival for the chance to be selected as a top poet.

This year’s submissions were due on March 12 at midnight.

Felicity McDonald, English Club president, said the festival is a chance for students at WKU to submit their work and get feedback from an actual poet.

Each year there is a visiting poet selected to host a workshop with the top 10 finalists, McDonald said. This year’s visiting poet is Emily Schulten.

The poetry workshop consists of all 10 finalists joining the visiting poet to look over each other’s work and give suggestions and feedback.

The visiting poet is chosen by the club, McDonald said. Tom Hunley, a faculty advisor, suggested three interested poets to the club, and there was a vote amongst club members.

The visiting poet selects the top three poets from the 10 finalists.

The finalists are invited to an event on April 3 to find out who the top poets are, McDonald said.

The prize for the top three poets are usually gift cards totaling $90 to be split among the winners, McDonald said.

“I think it is important because it gives students an opportunity to get their work out there and to try submitting to something that is low stakes before they go out and actually try to get published,” McDonald said. “If you do get to be a finalist, you get real time and feedback from an established poet. I think that is very valuable to have.”

McDonald said that Goldenrod is funded by the club through fundraisers such as the English Club book sales.

The spring book sale will be from March 28-31. The English Club will be accepting book donations on March 27.

For more information about the English club, visit their Instagram @wkuenglishclub.

News reporter Madison Carter can be reached at [email protected].