The Wick Poetry Center will host poets Daniel Carter and Allison Davis Feb. 12 at 7:30 p.m. in room 306A of the Student Center.

The hour-long event is free and open to the public. It is part of the Wick Poetry Center’s Reading Series, which highlights both well known and newly emerging poets.

Carter’s book “Here Both Sweeter” and Davis’s “Poppy Seeds” both won the Wick Chapbook Competition in 2011.

The competition is open to any Ohio poets and allows aspiring writers to have a book of their poetry published by Kent State University Press, as well as the opportunity to give a live reading at the university.

Carter had released only one book of poetry, “This Apparatus,” published by Furniture Press, when he was selected for the Wick Chapbook Competition. His poems have also been published by literary journals.

Carter’s recent work has taken inspiration from television formats, mystery novels, and science fiction.

“TV and movies are the art form of our time,” Carter said. His work aspires to apply those frequently seen genres to a new format.

For this reading, Carter plans to read poems from his chapbook as well as more recent writings. He hopes his work, which has edged away from traditional poetry formats into fiction, can introduce the audience to new ways of thinking about familiar genres.

Davis has respected the Wick Poetry Center since she was in high school. She said the Wick Poetry Center gave her encouragement to write when she needed it the most and hopes to inspire other beginning writers at this week’s reading.

Her work takes inspiration from her family history, the nature of business and working towards a goal and the “understanding of how we construct a language as we move from place to place.”

“Poppy Seeds” was the first collection of poetry Davis had published, and she said it helped her get started as a poet. She is currently working on a full-length book.

In addition to the reading, the poets will be visiting classes throughout the day to speak with students.

David Hassler, the director of the Wick Poetry Center, considers the chapbook competition to be an important part of the center’s mission of “encouraging new voices.” Previous winners have gone on to publish more books of poetry or find teaching positions at universities.

“It’s a great sort of springboard for their career,” Hassler said.

Contact Jason Meek at [email protected].