After being uprooted from her life in Italy in 1968, Rita Monte turned to poetry to express how she felt about leaving her home country, which led her to a world of like-minded poets. Monte wrote her first poem, called “Italia,” upon arriving from her native land at the age of 12. She has won several poetry contests, with some of her work being featured at the annual Italian Festival at Hofstra University.

Her journey to becoming a successful poet has encouraged her to share what she has learned as a host of WHPC Radio at Nassau Community College and an upcoming co-host of the Festival of the Spoken and Written Word. “When I came from Italy, I didn’t speak any English, I felt very lonely, and I missed my country,” Monte said. “And this prompted me to start writing and expressing what I felt.”