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International Poetry Reading returns to in-person event on April 20

| Gary Johnson

After a virtual event in 2021, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire is again hosting the International Poetry Reading on campus on Wednesday, April 20.

The 16th annual event will be from 6-8 p.m. in the Ojibwe Ballroom of Davies Center.

The event is free and open to the public.

During the event, students, community members, faculty and staff will read and listen to poetry written in more than 15 languages, including Albanian, Croatian, Chinese, Icelandic and more.

“We are extremely excited to bring the annual International Poetry Reading event back to an in-person format,” says Dr. Kaishan Kong, associate professor of Chinese and an organizer of the International Poetry Reading along with Josh Bauer, senior web developer in UW-Eau Claire’s Learning and Technology Services department, and Casey Dahl, a student assistant majoring in Spanish and marketing. “After a disruption caused by the global pandemic, this in-person event is extraordinarily significant as we cherish this chance of seeing our community again, appreciating the beauty of languages, celebrating cultural diversity and embracing togetherness. We look forward to seeing all the familiar faces and new faces on April 20.”

The International Poetry Reading also will be livestreamed at uwec.ly/live.

Refreshments and a booklet of all reader poems will be available for attendees.

For more information, contact organizers Dr. Kaishan Kong or Josh Bauer, or visit the event’s Facebook page.

The International Poetry Reading is sponsored by Dr. Thomas King, professor emeritus of communication sciences and disorders, and his wife, Debra; the Center for International Education; the UW-Eau Claire Foundation; and the departments of English and languages.