Lincoln University Graduate Kieron Walquist Wins 2024 National Poetry Series Competition

Lincoln University of Missouri 2020 graduate Kieron Walquist has been selected as a winner of the 2024 National Poetry Series.

Kieron Walquist, a 2020 graduate of Lincoln University of Missouri, has been named a winner of the 2024 National Poetry Series. Walquist's debut full-length collection, Our Hands Hold Violence, was selected by renowned poet Brenda Hillman for publication with Beacon Press.

The National Poetry Series, a prestigious literary awards program, annually sponsors the publication of five poetry collections selected from an open competition judged by prominent poets. Past winners include literary luminaries such as Tyehimba Jess, Billy Collins, Terrance Hayes and Naomi Shihab Nye. 

“It wasn’t long ago that Kieron was studying past winners of this competition’s poems right here in LU classrooms and workshops," said Eli Burrell, professor of English and creative writing at Lincoln University. "This achievement is a testament to Kieron’s commitment to craft, creativity and raw talent. It's exciting to see a Blue Tiger make such a tremendous mark on the national stage.”

Walquist, a former fellow at the Fine Arts Work Center in Provincetown, Massachusetts, has also earned residencies at the Monson Arts Center and the Vermont Studio Center. After completing their Bachelor of Arts at Lincoln University, Walquist earned an MFA from Washington University in St. Louis and is currently pursuing a Ph.D. in English with a specialization in creative writing at the University of Utah. In 2022, Walquist’s chapbook "Love Locks" won the Quarterly West Chapbook Competition.

Lincoln University’s Department of Humanities and Communications, housed in Martin Luther King Jr. Hall, offers a Bachelor of Arts in English with an emphasis on creative writing and a minor in English with an emphasis in creative writing. For more information about the program, contact Professor Burrell at BurrellE@LincolnU.edu.