Nikky Finney

Who is Nikky Finney?

Nikky Finney is an award-winning American poet, and was the Guy Davenport Endowed Professor of English at the University of Kentucky for twenty years. In 2013, she accepted a faculty position at the University of South Carolina as the John H. Bennett, Jr. Chair in Southern Letters and Literature. An alumna of Talladega College, and author of four books of poetry and a short story cycle, Finney’s commitment to social justice and cultural preservation is revealed through the themes of her work. Her numerous honors include the 2011 National Book Award for Head Off & Split.

Finney lives in Columbia, SC.