We are just a few days away from our Poetry Festival event on Saturday, April 12! Will we see you there? Tickets are still available online and will also be available at the door for each event! TICKETS AND DETAILS: https://www.auctria.events/poetryfest (fb)

We are delighted to introduce you to our Poetry Slam judges! We are so grateful they are lending their expertise to our Poetry Festival on Saturday, April 12. The evening event will begin at 7:00 PM at Elgin Art Showcase with a short open mic, followed by raffle drawings and culminating in our Poetry Slam. Signups for both the open mic and the Poetry Slam will be emailed to ticketholders this coming week. Signups will also be available the night of the event (until slots are full). For tickets and full festival details: https://www.auctria.events/poetryfest Learn more about our amazing judges ⬇️ 📝 Chasity Gunn is the Poet Laureate Emeritus of Elgin, IL. She is a 2023 Watering Hole alumna, a 2022 Wild Seeds Fellow, and a 2021 Academy of American Poet Laureate Fellow. She serves as a Poetry Teaching Resident with Prison+Neighborhood Arts Project. Gunn is also a Poet-in-Residence with the Chicago Poetry Center. She has forthcoming publications in Killens Review and African American Review. 📝 Aron Ryan (he/they) is an avid poet and avid reader. As a Teen Services Associate at Gail Borden Public Library, he loves welcoming teens to the library, helping teens discover new books, and leading teen programs. One of their favorite library programs is their Writing Club program, a monthly workshop for young writers. As a student graduating this May with his Master’s in Library Science degree, Aron hopes to someday serve their community as a librarian. As Elgin's Poet Laureate, Aron loves writing poetry celebrating Elgin’s events, places, and most importantly, people. 📝 Nicholas Richard-Thompson is a cultural worker in the mediums of filmmaking, music, and poetry, and is a political commentator with a BA from Columbia University and an MPA from Aurora University. He serves as Director of Communications for the Illinois Black Advocacy Initiative (IBAI) and Midwest Regional Organizer for the Black Alliance for Peace (BAP), an international anti-war, anti-imperialist, and human rights organization. He is also a dedicated organizer with Auroa Mutual Aid, and a leader to numerous non-profit boards addressing food insecurity, mentorship, and global peace. (fb)