Shannon Kelly, Ph.D. ’12 is being inducted into the 2025 Pius X Fine Arts Hall of Fame for Literary Arts.
Shannon is from Lincoln, Nebraska. While at Pius X, she was active in Student Council, Spectrum Show Choir, All-State Chorus, and various theater productions, and also played varsity volleyball and basketball. Her favorite class at Pius X was French with Madame Imler. She is also grateful to her AP Literature teacher, Sally Burt, who encouraged her love of writing.
Shannon obtained her Ph.D. in literature in December, 2024 and works as a writing fellow at the Seamus Heaney Centre at Queen’s University Belfast. She is particularly interested in the intersection between poetry and political conflict, and in translation and transculturality. Her work has appeared in journals in the US and Europe, and her first book will be published in 2026. She is co-founder of an experimental Irish poetry press and sings in the Belfast Philharmonic Choir.
“Poetry is an act of peace.” -Pablo Neruda
“Pray, hope, and don’t worry.” -St. Padre Pio
