By: Rut Labrada, staff writer 

Be ready to lend an ear, everyone! Poet and professor Tim Seibles will be visiting Valdosta State University on Friday, Feb. 13, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. as part of the Georgia Poetry Circuit. 

He will be reading selected poems from his works to a wide audience at the Student Union Theater that evening, with entry being completely free to all who attend. 

The Georgia Poetry Circuit, founded by Mercer University in 1985, is an association of ten Georgia colleges and universities that organize visits from nationally renowned poets to all the different member universities, giving students an opportunity to listen to works from successful authors and contemporary poets. 

The circuit’s goal is to provide access to the literary arts to students and residents all over the state of Georgia, according to the program’s website. 

Member universities receive three different poets in a normal school year, typically one in the fall semester and two in the spring. 

According to VSU creative writing professor Marty Williams, the 2025-2026 school year is only featuring two poets due to scheduling issues, Diamond Forde visited in the fall semester, and Tim Seibles will be the only one visiting this spring. 

Because of this, poetry fanatics and aspiring poets should be sure to save the date in their calendars and attend the event, which won’t happen again until fall. 

Tim Seibles, born and raised in Philadelphia, is a former Poet Laureate of Virginia, current creative writing professor at Old Dominion University in Virginia, and he has authored eight poetry collections. His most recent collection, titled, “With No Hat,” released earlier this week on Monday, Feb. 10, 2026, as a celebration of the poet’s 70th birthday. 

The work is a reflection on the poet’s life and career thus far, with key themes including “aging, death, identity, and at–one– ment with all beings,” according to the book’s blurb and synopsis, and the reading will certainly offer many insights for those wishing to learn more about poetry. 

For any questions about the event, students and faculty members should email Dr. Marty Williams at mlwillia@valdosta.edu