University Press celebrates poetry collections in honor of National Poetry Month

The University of Nebraska Press’ catalog boasts award-winning poetry collections by noted poets. In honor of National Poetry Month in April, readers can dive into some of the Press' best offerings.

"Contemporary poetry is — and has been — an important and well-regarded part of UNP’s creative list," said Courtney Ochsner, acquisitions editor. "UNP publishes award-winning titles and authors through collaborations with Prairie Schooner, the African Poetry Book Fund, former U.S. Poet Laureate Ted Kooser and The Backwaters Press, an imprint of UNP. We have published the work of established and prize-winning poets such as Ted Kooser, Kwame Dawes, Safiya Sinclair, and, most recently, Gbenga Adesina.

"Celebrating its 85th anniversary this year, UNP continues to be a premier publisher with a longstanding reputation for excellence."

The press also has several poetry imprints and series: the Ted Kooser Contemporary Poetry Series, The Raz/Shumaker Prairie Schooner Book Prize in Poetry Series, The Backwaters Press and The African Poetry Book Series.

Here are some of the University of Nebraska Press’ notable and award-winning poetry publications from the past few years:

“Death Does Not End at the Sea” by Gbenga Adesina, 2025

Adesina’s debut book of poems received the Raz/Shumaker Prairie Schooner Book Prize in Poetry and was longlisted for the 2025 National Book Award in Poetry. A Nigerian poet who now lives in the United States, Adesina’s poetry addresses themes of ancestral history, citizenship and the African diaspora.  

“Mummy Eaters’ by Sherry Shenoda, 2022

Winner of the 2023 American Book Award and Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poets and longlisted for the 2022 National Book Award, “Mummy Eaters” imagines the path of a person through mummification and into the afterlife. Shenoda, born in Cairo, Egypt, wrote many of the poems in a call-and-answer style common in Coptic writing.

“The Gathering of Bastards” by Romeo Oriogun, 2023

Oriogun’s collection centering on African migrants received the 2024 Nebraska Book Award and was a finalist for the 2024 Midwest Book Award and National Book Critics Circle Award. Much of Oriogun’s work discusses themes of migration and the meaning of home.

“Cotton Candy” by Ted Kooser, 2022

Kooser, a towering figure in the Nebraska poetry world, named “Cotton Candy” for the way in which he wrote the collection; the poems sprouted from thoughts that floated through his mind like clouds. Kooser received a Pulitzer Prize in Poetry in 2005 and was the U.S. poet laureate, and “Cotton Candy” was a finalist for the 2023 Midwest Book Award.

“Dear Wallace” by Julie Choffel, 2024

In “Dear Wallace,” Choffel reflects on Wallace Stevens, a poet and insurance executive, relating his experiences in the early 20th century to her own. Both Choffel and Stevens spent years in Hartford, Connectictut. The book received the Backwaters Prize in Poetry.

“Jagadakeer: Apology to the Body” by Lory Bedikian, 2024

“Jagadakeer,” spanning multiple poetic styles, is Bedikian’s ode to lost loved ones and coping with illness. Bedikian wrote the book following the deaths of her parents. The book also received the Raz/Shumaker Prairie Schooner Book Prize in Poetry.

“All That Refuses to Die” by Michael Imossan, 2026

Imossan explores the history of multiple African nations in this collection, winner of the Sillerman First Book Prize for African Poets. The book examines how Africa's history influences its present and the lingering effects of the most damaging aspects of that history, including wars and the slave trade.

“Locomotive Cathedral” by Brandel France de Bravo, 2025

This collection addresses some of the most prominent social and political issues of the day. France de Bravo draws on a range of styles to explore themes ranging from climate change to the pandemic.

“Nine Persimmons” by Kerry James Evans, 2026

“Nine Persimmons” takes readers on a journey from the American South up the coast to New York City and abroad as Evans explores the ordinary and the divine. The book, an honorable mention for the Backwaters Prize in Poetry, draws from Evans’ personal life as he reflects on his own and his family’s history.

“Old Rags and Iron” by R.F. McEwen, 2025

McEwen, who has worked as a teacher and a professional logger and tree trimmer, writes of the working class in Chicago, South Dakota, Nebraska and Ireland in “Old Rags and Iron.” McEwen has taught English in Chadron, Nebraska, for more than 50 years.