Award-winning poets, authors offer their talents at The Literacy Connection’s Poetry Festival

“Writing Down Our Roots” is this year’s theme for the second annual Poetry & Literacy Festival fundraiser for The Literacy Connection on Saturday, April 25.

To celebrate National Poetry Month, the nonprofit organization will host the event at Elgin Community College, Building F from 3 to 7:30 p.m.

The headline speaker will be Juliàn Randall, a Pushcart Prize winning poet and writer whose upcoming middle grade novel, “Shook,” is forthcoming from Holt Books for Young Readers later this year.

Elgin Poet Laureate emeritus Chasity Gunn and Chicago-based poet Diego Bàez will lead separate workshops for families and individuals.

Juliàn Randall is a Living Queer Black author from Chicago. They are the 2019 recipient of the Betty Berzon Emerging Writer award and are the author of the middle grade novels, “The Chainbreakers” and the Pilar Ramirez duology as well as the nonfiction memoir “The Dead Don’t Need Reminding” and poetry chapbook “Refuse” which won the Cave Canem award. Their essays and poetry have appeared in The New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, Vibe Magazine, and other venues. Randall will share stories of their African American and Dominican ancestors’ stories of hope and inspiration in unsettling times.

Returning to this year’s festival are Diego Bàez and Chasity Gunn. Diego is a writer, educator, and abolitionist and the author of “Yaguaretè White,” a finalist for the Chicago Review of Books award and winner of the Chicago Reader’s Best New Poetry Collection of 2024. Bàez will lead families and children through a series of creative interview prompts to create meaningful and long-lasting family stories.

Chasity Gunn is a 2023 Watering Hole alumna, and a 2021 Academy of American Poet Laureate Fellow. She will lead a workshop for individuals, helping them explore their personal origin stories through poetry and creative writing prompts.

The evening will end with an open mic and Poetry Slam competition judged by local Elgin poets Aron Ryan and Ed Heinrich and educator and documentarian Nick Thompson.

The Literacy Connection is a nonprofit organization that offers free, quality literacy services to adult learners in Elgin and surrounding areas.

Proceeds from the festival will help offset costs of necessary programming, materials, and resources for learners and tutors.

“We’re so lucky to have such amazing poets and authors offering their time and talents to this meaningful event,” said Megan Wheless, executive director.

Registration is now open. Early bird pricing is available until April 1, which is $20 per event of $50 for the full day. Student pricing is $10 per event of $25 for a day pass.

Advance Poetry Slam sign-up slots are available to ticket holders. For full event details and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.elginliteracy.org.