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The Wake Forest University Press is celebrating its 40th year publishing contemporary Irish poetry. Over four decades WFU Press has become recognized internationally as the premier publisher of Irish poetry. A library exhibit honoring the anniversary of the WFU Press has been installed near the Starbucks entrance in ZSR Library.

In 1975, Dillon Johnston, a Professor of English at Wake Forest realized that much of Irish poetry was not available in the U.S. Johnston approached Provost, Ed Wilson and the administration about establishing a small press that would specialize in Irish poetry. Shortly afterwards, President Scales approved this proposal and Wake Forest University Press began. Dillon Johnston taught at Wake Forest until 2000. During the time of his directorship, he and his wife and co-publisher Guinn Batten brought many Irish poets to this area and to their mountain house in Virginia called “The Shack.” A book, entitled, The Shack: Irish Poets in the Foothills and Mountains of the Blue Ridge, is being published with the art and poetry created while these poets and artists visited “the shack.” Irish poets have visited Wake Forest over the years, including Ciaran Carson and Eiléan Ní Chuilleanáin, Conor O’Callaghan and Vona Groarke and others, making a strong connection between the poets of Ireland and Wake Forest University Press.