The 10th Annual Esther Goldhaber Jacovitz Poetry Reading is approaching. The reading is to  be held 7:30 p.m., March 20 in Whalley Chapel.

George Bilgere, award winning poet, will be the guest speaker. This is his first time speaking at the reading series. The event has no admission charge and is open to the public.

The event is sponsored by the UPJ Humanities Division. A book signing with Bilgere is to follow the reading.

The reading series is made possible by a UPJ alumna. Jacovitz makes a donation that allows UPJ to compensate the reader each year. This is the 10th anniversary of the reading.

Creative writing professor Eric Schwerer is the person to decide on the speaker each year.

Bilgere has a Ph.D in literature with a specialization on modern and contemporary British and American literature.

Bilgere lives in Cleveland, and is an English literature professor at John Carroll University.

Numerous awards have been given to Bilgere for his poems. A few of the awards that he has won are a Pushcart Prize, the May Swenson Award and the Devins Prize.

The poet hosts a weekly radio show about poetry titled “Wordplay” and has published five collections of poetry books. His newest collection, Imperial, is to be published with the University of Pittsburgh Press next year.

Writing poetry is something that Bilgere began late in his undergraduate career, he said. He was a pre-med student who developed a love for creative writing.

“My inspiration comes from the things I’ve seen and done and thought. In other words, from my daily experience,” Bilgere said.

A question-and-answer session with the poet is to be held at 4:30 p.m., March 20 in Biddle 141.