National Book Award-winning poet Nikky Finney will host a poetry reading and book signing in room 1074 of Gary Ransdell Hall on Wednesday. 

The event will last approximately an hour, said Associate Professor of English Marla Zubel, who is helping to organize the event. Zubel said the first 40 minutes will be a poetry reading, followed by a book signing and an audience Q&A.

Finney, the chair of creative writing and southern literature at the University of South Carolina, writes poetry meant to capture southern and African American voices. In the words of fellow poet Kwame Dawes, Finney possesses “the gift to develop a soul for the people.”

Finney is also a member of the Affrilachian Collective, a group of poets of color committed to confronting the assumed whiteness of Appalachian residents, according to the Poetry Foundation. The group was founded by Frank X. Walker, who teaches at the University of Kentucky. 

Zubel said the opportunity to see a National Book Award-winning poet is “special and exciting” for WKU students. Zubel said that this event should be of interest not just to students in creative writing, but also to those interested in history and African American studies. 

In addition to an academic perspective, Zubel encourages students to attend the event with the intention of admiring the art of poetry. 

Zubel said Finney’s poetry “not only offers beauty and insight, but also fosters a sense of camaraderie.” 

Students should come prepared to learn about the struggles and culture of living in the south, but not be intimidated, Zubel said. Zubel said that Finney’s poetry is very accessible, something students often worry about when they hear the word “poetry.” 

Zubel hopes students will take this opportunity to gain more than just a night of poetry. 

“It is my hope that we all will be able to learn, not only from Nikky Finney, but from the conversation amongst ourselves that her reading inspires,” Zubel said.