overview

• Celestine Davis, the first Black President of the NC Poetry Society, concluded her term in May 2023. She has been a regional representative for the NC Writers' Network for Nash, Wilson, and Pitt Counties since 2009 and serves on the editorial board for the NC Literary Review (NCLR). Celestine played a key role in establishing NCLR's Jaki Shelton Greene Poetry Prize. As the festival director of Down East Flick Fest since 2014, she has developed it into a regional film festival and artists' showcase. She promotes the arts as tools for personal freedom and civic responsibility. Through her program, Unapologetically Not Artworks (UN-Artworks), Celestine hosts workshops and facilitates gatherings aimed at fostering individual growth and supportive communities through creative practices. Additionally, she is working on a documentary and completing two poetry collections, titled "Bridges and Bones" and "Crinolines."