UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The 16th annual event "An Evening of Pennsylvania Poets: Readings in Celebration of the Public Poetry Project" will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday, April 21, in Foster Auditorium, 102 Paterno Library, on Penn State's University Park campus. The poetry readings will be followed by a free poster signing.

The Public Poetry Project focuses on poets with a connection to Pennsylvania and displays the poetry in public places to make it a part of the daily lives of a greater number of people. Since the project began in 1999, more than 70 poems have been printed and placed in public places throughout Pennsylvania.

Poets featured in the 2016 Public Poetry Project poster series will read from their work. This year's posters were designed by Wilson Hutton of the University Libraries and will be available at no charge at the presentation. The 2016 Poetry Poster series includes poets Michelle Lin, Dawn Lonsinger, Peter Oresick (represented by his son, Jake) and Nicole Steinberg.

The project is under the direction of Ellysa Cahoy, assistant director, and Caroline Wermuth, outreach coordinator, for the Pennsylvania Center for the Book, and is supported by the Paterno Family Librarian for Literature, William S. Brockman; the University Libraries; the Department of English in the College of the Liberal Arts; and the Pennsylvania Center for the Book, an affiliate of the Center for the Book in the Library of Congress. The readings are open to the public.

For more information, including physical access and special accommodations, contact Caroline Wermuth at 814-863-5472. For more information about the Public Poetry Project, visit its website.