WARRENSBURG, Mo.-– KMOS-TV, the public television station operated by the University of Central Missouri, will produce the third annual Montserrat Poetry Festival this spring.

The event will take place Sunday afternoon, May 23 at Montserrat Vineyards, Montserrat, Mo.

Eighteen poets are slated to present original works this year, including Tantra-Ziwadi – a spoken word poet from New York, and Alec Bell, an historical poet from London, UK. The event will also feature Missouri’s first poet laureate, Walter Bargen, of Ashland, as well as other writers from Columbia, Independence, Kansas City, Lee’s Summit and Warrensburg.

“This is the richest slate we’ve had to date,” said Mark Pearce, organizer for the event. “We’ve got cowboy poets, historical poets, rhyming poets, free verse poets, a spoken word poet…a lot of variety.”

Most of the presentation slots were determined through an open submission process. More than four dozen writers submitted for consideration.

The seven-hour festival will be free and it is a come-and-go event, so visitors can use the following presentation schedule to help plan their day:

1 p.m.--Katy Trail Trio, Sedalia, featuring Anna Lee Bail, Mable Fowler and Mary Frances Herndon.

1:20 p.m.-- Larry Welling, Kansas City; 1:40 p.m.--James Kneece, Independence; 2 p.m.-- Christina Pacosz, Kansas City; 2:20 p.m.-- Dave Ewing, Warrensburg; 2:50 p.m.--Alec Bell, London, UK; 3:20 p.m.-- Gustavo Adolfo Aybar, Kansas City; 3:40 p.m.-- Hubert Neth, Lee’s Summit; 4:10 p.m.-- Jim Coffman, Columbia; 4:40 p.m.-- Eva Rideneur Armstrong; 5 p.m.-- Walter Bargen, Ashland;

5:30 p.m.--Tantra-Zawadi; New York City; 6 p.m.-- Doug Kiburz, Sedalia; 6:20 p.m.--Debbie Noland, Sedalia; 6:40 p.m.-- Glen Enloe, Independence; 7:10 p.m.-- Larry Allen, Columbia; 7:30 p.m.--Mark Pearce, Warrensburg; and 7:50 p.m.--Rachel Brown, Warrensburg.

For more information, you may call Mark Pearce at 660-543-4155, or email mpearce@ucmo.edu.