Writer Diego Báez to speak at Poetry Festival in Elgin on April 12

Calling all poetry lovers! On Saturday, April 12, The Literacy Connection will host its first-ever Poetry and Literacy Festival fundraiser to celebrate National Poetry Month in Elgin. The day will begin at Elgin Community College with a Poetry Workshop led by Elgin Poet Laureate Emeritus, Chasity Gunn. Continuing into the afternoon, The Literacy Connection will welcome Chicago-based poet, Diego Báez for a special presentation and Q&A. The day’s events will end at Elgin Art Showcase for an open mic and Poetry Slam competition. All events are open to the public.

Diego Báez, guest speaker, is a writer, educator, and abolitionist. He is the author of Yaguareté White, a finalist for the Chicago Review of Books Award and winner of the Chicago Reader's Best New Poetry Collection of 2024. He is the recipient of fellowships from the National Book Critics Circle, the Surge Institute, and the Poetry Foundation's Incubator for Community Engaged Poets. He lives in Chicago and teaches at the City Colleges.

Chasity Gunn, the festival’s workshop leader, 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.

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 valuable programs and necessary materials and resources for learners and volunteer tutors. The Open Mic portion will also highlight original poetry written and performed by learners and their tutors. “This will be a meaningful event for all participants,” said Megan Wheless, the organization’s Executive Director.

Registration is open now. Early Bird pricing is available until March 31, which is $25 per event or $60 for the full day. Student pricing is $10 per event or $25 for a day pass. Advance Poetry Slam signup slots are available to ticketholders. For full event details and sponsorship opportunities, visit www.elginliteracy.org