Contrary to what you may think, poetry isn’t just an English thing. The International Poetry Reading will once again be returning to UW-Eau Claire on April 22. From Spanish to Hmong, Russian to Morse Code, for the past nine years the International Poetry Reading has given attendees the opportunity to appreciate poetry beyond the borders of English. The International Poetry Reading brings together students, faculty, and other community members together to listen to poetry spoken in a variety of languages and dialects. Audience members are provided English translations as readers recite published or original poetry. It’s a celebration of language that reaches outside the UW-Eau Claire campus and Eau Claire itself. Folks from surrounding communities as well as UW-Eau Claire alums continue to return every year for this poetically diverse occasion. “It’s definitely a community-building event,” says Jake Worley, a senior English major at UW-Eau Claire who is helping plan and recruit for the event. “We’re really about sharing the diversity, sharing your own language.” Last year alone about 42 different languages were featured with a total of 84 speakers. Whether you’re a native speaker or a passionate language student, all are welcome to come and share the beauty of poetry and language. The reading will be at 7pm Wednesday, April 22, in the Ojibwe Ballroom of Davies Center on the UWEC campus.