About Kimberly J. Simms
Greenville Poet, Curator, Educator
Kimberly J. Simms is a Greenville, SC poet whose work is deeply rooted in Southern storytelling. For more than two decades, she has worked at the intersection of poetry, history, performance, and community, creating spaces where writers and audiences can connect through the power of words.
Today, Kimberly is a full-time writer and Executive Director of Wits End Poetry, the nonprofit literary organization she founded in 2002. Her legacy of creating poetry engagements, events, and festivals helped shape Greenville's literary community and contributed to the broader poetry landscape of South Carolina.
A Poetic Life
At the center of her work is a belief in the power of poetry to connect people, preserve stories, and create community. As a poet, Kimberly is drawn to the stories of people and places of the South that might otherwise be overlooked. Her writing often explores Southern history, memory, work, family, and the complicated relationship between place and identity.
As a curator, she has spent decades creating opportunities for poets, writers, performers, and audiences to build community. Through Wits End Poetry, literary festivals, poetry slams, readings, and community programs, she has helped bring poetry beyond the page and into the world around us.
As an educator, Kimberly uses poetry as a way to encourage curiosity, creativity, historical understanding, and connection. Her workshops and presentations draw on her experience as a writer, performer, literary organizer, and teacher. Kimberly believes in the power of poetry to increase literacy for both youth and adults.
Lindy Lee: Songs on Mill Hill
Kimberly is the author of Lindy Lee: Songs on Mill Hill, a full-length poetry collection published by Finishing Line Press, rooted in the history of the Piedmont textile mill era.
Through poetry grounded in historical research and imaginative insight, the collection explores the lives of textile workers and their families, including the experiences of women and children who worked in the mills. The poems consider labor, isolation, joy, escape, family and community bonds, and the changing landscape of the Southern textile mill.
The collection reflects Kimberly's larger interest in preserving and reimagining the stories of the American South — particularly the stories too often forgotten or overlooked.
Kimberly's latest book of poetry is due out in 2028 if not earlier.
A Life in Poetry
Kimberly is a former Writer-in-Residence for Carl Sandburg National Historic Site, Poetry Slam Inc. executive board member, and a TEDx speaker. A pioneer of the early poetry slam movement in South Carolina, Kimberly founded the first poetry slam in the state. She went on to become a member of the championship-winning first Greenville Slam Team and was named a “Legend of the South” by National Poetry Slam.
Her poems have appeared in literary magazines and anthologies, and she is the author of two chapbooks in addition to her full-length collection. Her work is archived in the South Carolina Poetry Archives at Furman University, and she is a member of the South Carolina Humanities Speakers Bureau.
Building Literary Community
Since founding Wits End Poetry in 2002, Kimberly has worked to make poetry a visible and vital part of community life in Greenville and throughout South Carolina. Under her leadership, Wits End created a series of community poetry murals in 2020 and the GVL Poetry Trail in 2026.
As a performer, she has been featured at national and international literary festivals, poetry slams, readings, workshops, educational programs, as well as public poetry initiatives. She has also served with organizations including the Emrys Foundation, Poetry Slam Inc., the Metropolitan Arts Council, and Travelers Rest Arts Mission.
For Kimberly, literary community is not simply about presenting poetry. It is about creating opportunities for people to hear one another's stories, discover their own voices, and recognize the histories and experiences that connect them.
South Carolina Poet Laureate Recognition
In 2026, Kimberly was selected as one of the top five finalists considered by the South Carolina Arts Commission for South Carolina Poet Laureate, ranking fourth among all poets considered.
The recognition reflects more than two decades of work as a poet, literary curator, educator, and advocate for poetry in South Carolina.
Education
Kimberly holds a master's degree in English with a focus on Creative Writing from Clemson University and a bachelor's degree in English from Furman University, along with 30 hours of graduate study in education. She holds a current professional teaching certificate in the state of South Carolina.
Her formal education and decades of experience as a writer and educator continue to inform her approach to poetry, teaching, and literary community-building.
“ She writes with eloquence and empathy about an important part of Southern history — too often neglected. ”
— Ron Rash
Poetry & Literary Workshops
As an educator, Kimberly leads poetry and literary workshops for schools, community organizations, festivals, libraries, and other audiences. Her approach combines writing, performance, history, and conversation, encouraging participants to find their own voices and connect poetry to the places and communities around them.
Her workshops and presentations draw on decades of experience as a poet, performer, literary organizer, and educator.
Contact Kimberly
For information about readings, workshops, literary programs, speaking engagements, or other opportunities, please get in touch.
- Email: kimberlysimmspoet@gmail.com