A selection of poetry (and occasionally other literary) events going on in the Cascadia region (Washington state except as noted) with links for more information. Some events may involve fees or admission charges. Information is current to the best of our knowledge; please confirm with venues for updates and featured poets.
To make a correction or add your event to the calendar, send an email to thepoetrydepartment at gmail with the following information (required): date, city, brief description, time, venue, link for more information.
Mondays in Bellingham – poetrynight featured poet and open mic at the Bellingham Alternative Library
Mondays in Everett – Poetry Laboratory open mic at Black Lab Art Gallery
Mondays in Seattle – Easy Speak Seattle hosts a featured reader and open mic the 2nd and 4th Monday
Mondays in Vancouver, BC – Vancouver Poetry Slam (VanSlam) feature plus open mic at Café Deux Soleils; more on Facebook
Tuesdays in Seattle – Seattle Poetry Slam presents a featured poet plus open mic and slam at Re-bar
Wednesdays in Bellingham – Acoustic Wednesdays with host JD Falcon Grady featuring local artists and poets – 6:30pm at Greene’s Corner
Wednesdays in Seattle – Write Time Poetry, a weekly drop-in writing circle for teens at Hugo House (meets during the school year)
Wednesdays in Seattle – Rain City Slam: all-ages spoken word open mic, featured poet and poetry slam at Jai Thai on Broadway
Wednesdays in Seattle – Open Mic Night: music, poems, dance, comedy, stories – 7:00pm – at Couth Buzzard Books
Wednesdays in Spokane – Broken Mic featured poet plus open mic at Neato Burrito
Wednesdays in Vaughn – Watermark Writers’ Workshop – on the waterfront
Thursdays in Everett – Everett Poetry Night: poetry and acoustic music at Café Zippy
Thursdays in Olympia – Cascadia Poetry Group with featured reader and open mic – 6:00pm – at 3 Magnets
Thursdays in Salem, OR – The Salem Poetry Project presents a featured reader followed by open mic – 7:00pm – at IKE Box Coffee Shop
Fridays in Victoria, BC – Planet Earth Poetry featured poets plus open mic – 7:30pm – at Hillside Coffee and Tea
Confirm specific dates and featured poets with organization or venue; schedules may shift on short notice or be adjusted around holidays.
first Sunday – Eugene, OR – Poetry for the People – 4:00pm – at Rye
first Monday – Auburn – Striped Water Poets: featured poet(s) plus open mic – 7:00pm – at the Rainbow Café
first Monday – Portland, OR – Free Range Poetry Series – 6:00pm – at Northwest Library
second and fourth Mondays – Bellingham – VB Writes Prompts – 4:00pm – at Village Books, Fairhaven
second Monday – Seattle – African-American Writers’ Alliance Poetry Reading – 7:00pm – at Third Place Books Seward Park
third Monday – Tacoma – Creative Colloquy presents featured readers plus open mic – 7:00pm – at Honey at Alma Mater
fourth Monday – Tacoma – Commencement Bay Haiku – 5:00pm – at King’s Books
last Monday – Bellingham – Open mic night – 7:00pm – in the Readings Gallery at Village Books
third Tuesday – Eugene, OR – Windfall Reading Series – 6:00pm – at Downtown Eugene Public Library
last Tuesday – Vancouver – Last Tuesdays poetry group with feature plus open mic – 7:00pm – at Barnes and Noble bookstore
first and third Wednesdays – Bellingham – VB Writes Poetry II – 10:15am – at Village Books, Fairhaven
first Wednesday – Duvall – Duvall Poetry, open mic plus featured poet – open mic 7:00pm, feature 7:30pm – at Duvall Library
second Wednesday – Bellingham – Whatcom Writers and Publishers – 5:45pm – at Nicki’s Bella Marina
second Wednesday – Bellingham – Chuckanut Sandstone Writers Theater Open Mic – signups 6:30pm, readings 7:00pm – at NEW LOCATION: The Happy Place, 1215 Cornwall, across from the Leopold
second Wednesday – Portland, OR – Comma Reading Series, featured poets – 7:00pm – at Broadway Books
third Wednesday – Bellingham – Creekside Open Mic – signups 6:00pm, readings 6:30pm – at South Whatcom Library
third Wednesday – Olympia – The Olympia Poetry Network monthly reading with featured poet and open mic – 6:00pm – at Traditions Fair Trade
third Wednesday – West Seattle – WordsWest Literary Series – 7:00pm – at C & P Coffee Company
first and third Thursdays – Bellingham – VB Writes Poetry I – 5:30pm – at Village Books, Fairhaven
second Thursday – Seattle (Ballard) – It’s About Time Writers Reading Series, featured readers, open mic, presentation on the writer’s craft – 6:00pm – at Ballard Branch of The Seattle Public Library
second Thursday – Vancouver – Ghost Town Poetry Open Mic with featured reader – signup 6:30pm – at Angst Gallery
third Thursday – Redmond – SoulFood Poetry Night, with featured reader and open mic – 7:00pm – at SoulFood Coffee House
fourth Thursday – Port Townsend – Northwind Reading Series presents readings by local and guest authors, featuring both poets and prose writers (check calendar for additional events) – 7:00pm – at Northwind Arts Center
second Friday – Tacoma – Puget Sound Poetry Connection (PSPC) Distinguished Writer Series with feature plus open mic – 7:00pm – at Immanual Presbyterian
last Friday – Redmond – RASP: Redmond Association of Spokenword, open mic plus feature – signup 6:30pm, reading 7:00pm – (venue changing; check website for latest info)
first Saturday – Bellingham – Red Wheelbarrow Writers: Writers’ Happy Hour – 4:00pm – at Brandywine Restaurant
first Saturday – Poulsbo – Armchair Poetry Reading – 7:00pm – at Poulsbohemian Coffeehouse
second and fourth Saturdays – Bellingham – VB Writes Nooksack River Writing Group – 10:00am – at Village Books, Lynden
third Saturday – Kirkland – Poetry workshop and reading – at BookTree
1-31 – Tacoma – Tacoma Arts Month
19-21 – Surrey, BC – 26th annual Surrey International Writers’ Conference
20 – Bellingham – SpeakEasy 22: Animal Beast Creature – 7:00pm – at the Mount Baker Theatre, Encore Room
20 – Seattle – New England Review at 40: An Anniversary Reading – 7:00pm – at Open Books
21 – Oak Harbor – Oak Harbor Poetry Project presents Joanne Clarkson – 3:00pm – at Oak Harbor Library
21 – Seattle – [Workshop] The Personal & the Political with Rick Barot – 10:00am – at Open Books
21 – Seattle – A Reading and Reception for Stealing Light: A Raven Chronicles Anthology – 2:00pm (with reception following) – at Seattle Central Library
21 – Seattle – Floating Bridge Press Chapbook Award winners Natasha Moni and Rena Priest read – 3:00pm – at the Elliott Bay Book Company
22 – Bellingham – VB Writes…Prompts – 4:00pm – at Village Books
25-28 – Seabeck – 11th annual Seabeck Haiku Getaway, featuring Abigail Friedman – at Seabeck Conference Center
25 – Seattle – Sierra Golden with Chelsea Werner-Jatzke – The Slow Art – 7:00pm – at Third Place Books Ravenna
26 – Anacortes – Poetry reading featuring Jessica Gigot and Bill Ransom – 7:00pm – at Pelican Bay Books
26 – Portland, OR – Spare Room presents Joel Bettridge, Tom Fisher, and Jamondria Marnice Harris – 7:00pm – at Passages Bookshop
26 – Seattle – Book Launch Reading: Mia Ayumi Malhotra’s Isako Isako – 7:00pm – at Open Books
26-28 – Bellevue – Emerald City Writers’ Conference – at Westin Hotel
27 – Lynden – VB Writes…Nooksack River Writing Group – 10:00am – Village Books Lynden
27 – Seattle – Priscilla Long – 7:00pm – at The Elliott Bay Book Company
29 – Bellingham – Open Mic Night with Sean Dwyer – 7:00pm – at Village Books
30 – Portland, OR – Oregon Jewish Voices – 7:30pm – at Oregon Jewish Museum and Center for Holocaust Education
1-30 – everywhere – National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)
1 – Tulalip – First Thursday Poetry Series with featured poets and open mic – 6:00pm – at Tulalip Tribes Hibulb Cultural Center Longhouse Room
2 – Seattle – Book Launch Reading for Sierra Nelson – 7:00pm – at Open Books
3 – Seattle – MoonPath Press Reading, Curated by Risa Denenberg – 7:00pm – at Open Books
8 – Bellingham – 2018 Literacy Breakfast with Nancy Pearl – 7:00am – at Bellingham Technical College Settlemyer Hall
8 – Portland, OR – Slamlandia – 6:30pm – at Literary Arts
9 – Seattle – Reading with Ravenna Press – 7:00pm – at Open Books
9 – Tacoma – Puget Sound Poetry Connection presents the Distinguished Writer Series, with featured writer plus open mic – 7:00pm – at Immanual Presbyterian
10 – Portland, OR – Portland Book Festival (formerly Wordstock) – Portland Art Museum and other venues
10 – Portland, OR – Lit Crawl Portland – 6:00pm – various venues
11 – Seattle – Part 1 of 2: List Poems with Rachel Edelman – 10:00am – at Open Books
11 – Seattle – Book Launch Reading for Subjective Geography: A Poet’s Thoughts on Life and Craft by Madeline DeFrees 5:00pm – at Open Books
12 – Seattle – African-American Writers’ Alliance Poetry Reading – 7:00pm – at Third Place Books, Seward Park
15 – Pendleton, OR – First Draft Writers’ Series – 7:00pm – at Pendleton Center for the Arts, Pearson Auditorium
16 – Seattle – Book Launch Reading for Jessica Rae Bergamino’s UNMANNED – 7:00pm – at Open Books
17 – Seattle – Reading with Susan Rich, Valerie Wallace & Lisa Wells – 7:00pm – at Open Books
18 – Portland, OR – Spare Room presents Deborah Woodard, Rodney Koeneke, and Jen Denrow – 7:00pm – at Passages Bookshop
21 – West Seattle – Words West Literary series – 7:00pm – at C & P Coffee Co
26 – Bellingham – Open Mic Night with Sean Dwyer – 7:00pm – at Village Books
30 – Anacortes – Robert Sund Poets House Annual Reading (info to come)
30 – Seattle – reading features 2018 Jack Straw Writers Kamari Bright, Jalayna Carter, Bryan Edenfield, Corbin Louis, and Dujie Tahat – 7:00pm – at Open Books
2 – BIRTHDAY – Samuel Green
6 – Tulalip – First Thursday Poetry Series with featured poets and open mic – 6:00pm – at Tulalip Tribes Hibulb Cultural Center Longhouse Room
10 – Seattle – African-American Writers’ Alliance Poetry Reading – 7:00pm – at Third Place Books, Seward Park
13 – Portland, OR – Slamlandia – 6:30pm – at Literary Arts
14 – Tacoma – Puget Sound Poetry Connection presents the Distinguished Writer Series, with featured writer plus open mic – 7:00pm – at Immanual Presbyterian
28 – Anacortes – Cheri Shaver & Skagit County Young Poets (info to come)
2 – BIRTHDAY – Jimmy Santiago Baca
9 – BIRTHDAY – Kelli Russell Agodon
10-20 – Seaside, OR – Pacific University Residency Writers Conference
13 – BIRTHDAY – Megan Snyder-Camp
16 – West Seattle – Words West Literary series – 7:00pm – at C & P Coffee Co
17 – BIRTHDAY – William Stafford
20 – BIRTHDAY – Bruce Beasley
22 – BIRTHDAY – Luther Allen
25 – Anacortes – Poetry reading featuring Elizabeth Austen and Ed Harkness – 7:00pm – at Pelican Bay Books
1-28 – everywhere – National Haiku Writing Month (NaHaiWriMo)
1 – BIRTHDAY – Joannie Stangeland
4 – BIRTHDAY – Elizabeth Vignali
6 – BIRTHDAY – Rena Priest
8 – Anacortes – Poetry reading featuring Clemens Starck – 7:00pm – at Pelican Bay Books
19 – BIRTHDAY – Rick Barot
20 – West Seattle – Words West Literary series – 7:00pm – at C & P Coffee Co
22 – Anacortes – Poetry reading featuring Michael Daley and Jeremy Voigt – 7:00pm – at Pelican Bay Books
22-24 – Astoria, OR – FisherPoets Gathering
25 – BIRTHDAY – Elizabeth J. Colen
27 – BIRTHDAY – Oliver de la Paz
1-31 – Whatcom County – Submissions open for Sue C. Boynton Poetry Contest
1-31 – everywhere – National Novel Editing Month (NaNoEdMo)
1 – BIRTHDAY – Brenda Miller
2 – Bellingham – SpeakEasy 23 – 7:00pm – at the Mount Baker Theatre, Encore Room
10 – Anacortes – Poetry reading featuring Tom Jay and Holly J. Hughes – 7:00pm – at Pelican Bay Books
12 – BIRTHDAY – Naomi Shihab Nye
18 – BIRTHDAY – Wilfred Owen
20 – West Seattle – Words West Literary series – 7:00pm – at C & P Coffee Co
23 – BIRTHDAY – Lana Hechtman Ayers
26 – BIRTHDAY – Patrick Lane
27 – BIRTHDAY – Julia Álvarez, Dorothea Lasky
27–30, Portland, OR – AWP #19 – at the Oregon Convention Center
29 – Anacortes – Poetry reading featuring Kevin Miller and Georgia Johnson – 7:00pm – at Pelican Bay Books
31 – Seattle – Equivox: Hedgebrook’s annual brunch and fundraiser – details TBA
1-30 – National Poetry Month and NaPoWriMo
4 – BIRTHDAY – Anita K. Boyle
6 – Ellensburg – Inland Poetry Prowl: “Sylvia’s Tulips”
5-7 – Orcas – Orcas Island Literary Festival
11 – BIRTHDAY – Maria McLeod
17 – West Seattle – Words West Literary series – 7:00pm – at C & P Coffee Co
23 – BIRTHDAY – Coleman Barks
25 – BIRTHDAY – Ted Kooser
26 – Anacortes – Poetry reading featuring Larry Laurence and Jourdan Imani Keith – 7:00pm – at Pelican Bay Books
28 – BIRTHDAYS – Carolyn Forché, Roberto Bolaño
29 – BIRTHDAY – Yusef Komunyakaa
9 – BIRTHDAY – Charles Simic, Dan Chiasson
12 – BIRTHDAY – Bernadette Mayer
15 – West Seattle – Words West Literary series – 7:00pm – at C & P Coffee Co
24 – Anacortes – Poetry reading featuring Gary Thompson and Alicia Hokanson – 7:00pm – at Pelican Bay Books
31 – BIRTHDAY – Walt Whitman
7 – BIRTHDAY – Gwendolyn Brooks, Nikki Giovanni
13-23 – Forest Grove, OR – Pacific University Residency Writers Conference
16 – Ireland & elsewhere – Bloomsday
21 – BIRTHDAY – Sheila Sondik
2 – BIRTHDAY – Wisława Szymborska
4 – everywhere – Registration opens for the 2019 August Poetry Postcard Fest
9 – BIRTHDAY – Susan Rich
16 – BIRTHDAY – Robert Lashley
31 – BIRTHDAY – Kim Addonizio
1-31 – August Poetry Postcard Fest
2-4 – Portland, OR – Willamette Writers Conference – at the Airport Sheraton Hotel
3 – BIRTHDAY – Diane Wakoski
5 – BIRTHDAY – Wendell Berry, Ron Silliman
20 – BIRTHDAY – Heather McHugh
28 – BIRTHDAY – Rita Dove
5 – BIRTHDAY – Nicanor Parra
10 – BIRTHDAY – Mary Oliver
11 – BIRTHDAY – Ryler Dustin
3 – BIRTHDAY – Bill Porter (Red Pine)
4 – BIRTHDAY – James Bertolino, Susan J. Erickson
14 – BIRTHDAY – Ocean Vuong
15 – BIRTHDAY – Kim Stafford
November 7, 2013 at 6:41 pm
Hi: I’m with the Skagit River Poetry Foundation. How do we submit events to your calendar? Thanks!
November 7, 2013 at 7:20 pm
Have replied to you directly, but feel free to leave information here as comments, too. Thank you!
March 9, 2016 at 9:39 pm
Hi, I would love to submit a few events on behalf of Creative Colloquy, a literary journal based out of Tacoma, WA. Is it possible to get our Creative Colloquy call for submissions and upcoming events added?
March 12, 2016 at 10:27 am
Be delighted to include Creative Colloquy — and have in the past when I’ve happened across your events. Please check your email. I’ve sent you a note with details. Thanks!