Nikky Finney

Finney came to University of Kentucky when Percival Everett, a South Carolinian poet, recruited her to be the visiting writes in the English department. Finney became a part of the permanent faculty in 1993. In 1995, SisterVisions, a Canadian press, published her second book of poetry Rice. The book received a PEN American Open Book Award in 1997. A year later, the University Press of Kentucky published her story cycle, Heartwood. In 1999, Finney went to Berea College to hold the Goode Chair in humanities. Her third book of poetry The World is Round was published in 2003 and in 2005 she became full professor in the English department at UK. Later, in 2006, she became the Interim Director of the African American Studies and Research Program. From 2007-2009, Finney served as the Grace Hazard Conkling Writer-in-Residence at Smith College in Northampton, Massachusetts. Finney is also a founding member of the Affrilachian poets, which is based in Lexington, Kentucky.