Renowned poet and professor Nikky Finney will give Transylvania University’s William R. Kenan Jr. Lecture, “Poetry, The Influencer,” at 7 p.m. Thursday in Haggin Auditorium. She has spent her career illuminating the Southern cultural and political heritage of Black people in ways that resonate throughout the country and world. Her ongoing legacy of poignant expression, indomitable truth and devotion to social justice has enriched the country and world.
The following evening at 6 p.m. Friday in Carrick Theater, Finney will return to the stage for a landmark celebration in Appalachian and Southern literature. The “35th Anniversary Reading of the Affrilachian Poets” will reunite founding members Gerald Coleman, Ricardo Nazario y Colón, Kelly Norman Ellis, Nikky Finney, Frank X Walker and Crystal Wilkinson. Together, they will honor a collective that reshaped the literary landscape by amplifying Black voices within Appalachia and challenging narrow definitions of regional identity. A book signing will follow the reading.
Both events are free and open to the public. Tickets are not required, and you can watch the livestream here.
A national voice in American poetry
Finney’s work explores history, family, geography and justice through language that is both intimate and expansive. Her poetry situates personal memory within broader cultural narratives, illuminating the intersections of race, region and belonging.
She is the author of several collections, including “On Wings Made of Gauze,” “Rice,” “The World Is Round” and “Head Off & Split,” which won the 2011 National Book Award for poetry. Finney holds the John H. Bennett Jr. Chair of Creative Writing and Southern Literature and is a Carolina Distinguished Professor at the University of South Carolina. She serves as a chancellor of the Academy of American Poets and was recently inducted into the American Academy of Arts and Letters.
Her visit places Lexington at the center of an important national literary conversation and offers students and community members an opportunity to experience poetry as both art and civic engagement.
Celebrating 35 years of the Affrilachian Poets
The 35th anniversary of the Affrilachian Poets marks a significant milestone in American letters. Founded to challenge the erasure of Black voices from Appalachian narratives, the collective has expanded understandings of regional literature and cultural identity for more than three decades.
By bringing its founding members together for this anniversary reading, Transylvania honors a movement that continues to influence writers, scholars and readers across the country. The event promises an evening of reflection, celebration and storytelling rooted in place and history.
The William R. Kenan Jr. Lecture Series at Transylvania University
The William R. Kenan Jr. Lecture Series brings distinguished scholars, artists and public intellectuals to campus to foster meaningful dialogue and intellectual engagement. Hosting Finney and the Affrilachian Poets reflects Transylvania’s commitment to the liberal arts and to conversations that connect literature with lived experience.
Event details
“Poetry, The Influencer” with Nikky Finney
7 p.m. Thursday, Feb. 19
Haggin Auditorium
Transylvania University, Lexington, Kentucky
Book signing to follow
35th Anniversary Reading of the Affrilachian Poets
6 p.m. Friday, Feb. 20
Carrick Theater
Transylvania University, Lexington, Kentucky
Book signing to follow
For more information about Finney at Transylvania and other upcoming events, visit transy.edu.