Join local poets Ashley Cornelius and Nico Wilkinson as they read from their new poetry collections, Translations from the Soul and The Weeds Grow Anyway. The reading will be followed by a Q & A and book-signing.

About The Poets

Ashley Cornelius is the 6th Pikes Peak Region Poet Laureate. Her poetry focuses on empowerment, self-care, body positivity, intersectionality, and systemic oppression. Ashley is sought after across the nation for speaking engagements and workshop facilitation.

Nico Wilkinson (they/he) is a poet, organizer, and artist based out of Colorado Springs, CO. They are the organizer of Keep Colorado Springs Queer, an award-winning open mic started in 2016. In January 2017 they released “Inauguration,” a collaborative book with Idris Goodwin which celebrated resilience in the midst of the hostile political climate. They are the 2017 champion of Capturing Fire, the national queer poetry competition and summit. In June 2025 they released their first full-length poetry collection, The Weeds Grow Anyway.