CALENDAR

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 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 Edmonds – Every Writer’s Writing Group – 10:00am-Noon – at the Edmonds Library

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 on 3rd

first Sunday (January thru May) – Portland, OR – The Voice of Empathy Sunday Salon Series – 4:00pm – at The Tiny Theater PDX

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 (see website for additional dates and locations) – 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

third Tuesday – Port Townsend – Poetry & Short-Shorts: An evening of 5-Minute Readings – signups 6:30pm – at Better Living Through Coffee

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

second Wednesday – Tillamook, OR – Monthly Writers Meet-up – 6:00pm – at Art Accelerated

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

fourth Wednesday – Chimacum – Finnriver Open Mic Spoken Word – signups 6:00pm – at Finnriver Farm & Cidery

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 – Olympia – Modern Poetry Book Club – 7:00pm – at Browsers Bookshop

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 – at Los Pajaros Studio Gallery

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

17 – Forest Grove, OR – Pacific University Master of Fine Arts in Writing Program Annual Reading Series featuring Chris Abani, Valerie Laken & Mahtem Shiferraw – 7:30pm – at Taylor-Meade Performing Arts Center

19 – Forest Grove, OR – Pacific University Master of Fine Arts in Writing Program Annual Reading Series featuring Marvin Bell, Cate Kennedy & Mary Helen Stefaniak – 7:30pm – at Taylor-Meade Performing Arts Center

19 – Olympia – Olympia Poetry Network presents Sandra Yannone plus open mic – 6:30pm – at New Traditions Fair Trade Cafe

19 – West Seattle – WordsWest Garden Party: A Series-Ending Celebration of Five Years of WordsWest Literary Series – 7:00pm – at C&P Coffee Company

20 – Forest Grove, OR – Pacific University Master of Fine Arts in Writing Program Annual Reading Series featuring Judy Blunt & Kwame Dawes – 7:30pm – at Taylor-Meade Performing Arts Center

20 – Portland, OR – Cathy Cain and Piper Bringman, Book Launch / Reading for: Bee Dance and Cardboard Wings – 7:00pm – at Annie Bloom’s Books

20 – Redmond – SoulFood Poetry Night with Christopher Luna & Toni Lumbrazo Luna – 7:00pm – at SoulFood CoffeeHouse and Fair Trade Emporium

20 – Seattle – Ocean Vuong and J. Boyd discuss On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous – 7:00pm – at The Seattle Public Library

21 – BIRTHDAY – Sheila Sondik

21 – Forest Grove, OR – Pacific University Master of Fine Arts in Writing Program Annual Reading Series featuring Willy Vlautin & Melanie Rae Thon – 7:30pm – at Taylor-Meade Performing Arts Center

21-22 – Bellingham – Chuckanut Writers Conference – at Whatcom Community College

22 – Everywhere – The Poetry Marathon

22 – Seattle – If You Want to See Something: Allen Ginsberg in Art & Action – 2:00pm – at Volunteer Park

22 – Seattle – Richard Blanco with Juan Alonso-Rodriquez – 7:00pm – at The Elliott Bay Book Company

23 – Seattle – Reading with Rae Armantrout & Ron Silliman – 5:00pm – at Open Books

27 – Vancouver, BC – Twisted Poets Literary Salon features Refugium Anthology Readings and Ariel Gordon reading from Treed – 7:00pm – at Hood 29 (formerly Cottage Bistro)

27 – Vashon – Vashon poets welcome their new poet laureate, Susan Lynch – 5:30pm – at the Vashon Winery

28 – Redmond – Redmond Association of Spokenword presents poet Dianne Avey – 7:00pm – at Los Pajaros Studio Gallery

28 – Seattle – Reading with Dobby Gibson & Zachary Schomburg – 7:00pm – at Open Books

29 – Seattle – Dream Delivery Service Celebration with Mathias Svalina – 7:00pm – at Open Books

30 – Seattle – African-American Writers’ Alliance Reading – 4:30pm – at Open Books

1-31 – everywhere – Psaltery & Lyre open for submissions

1 – Pacific Northwest – Moss open for submissions through October 1

2 – BIRTHDAY – Wisława Szymborska

4 – everywhere – Registration opens for the 2019 August Poetry Postcard Fest

7 – Bellingham – A selection of readings from For Love of Orcas – 4:00pm – at Village Books

7 – Bellingham – Summer Sunday poetry reading at the book box featuring Carla Shafer – 5:00pm – at 1507 Larrabee

7-14 – Portland, OR – Tin House Summer Workshop – at Reed College

8-14 – Wallowa Lake, OR – 32nd Summer Fishtrap Gathering of Writers: Steering The Craft

9 – BIRTHDAY – Susan Rich

11 – Seattle – Reading with Dana Levin & Natalie Scenters-Zapico – 7:00pm – at Hugo House

14-21 – Port Townsend – The Port Townsend Writers’ Conference – at Centrum

16 – BIRTHDAY – Robert Lashley

17 – Port Townsend – Northwind Reading Series presents Writers’ Conference Faculty – 7:00pm – at Northwind Arts Center

20 – Redmond – Poets in the Park – 11am-6pm – at Anderson Park

20-23 – Sun Valley, ID – Sun Valley Writers’ Conference

26 – Redmond – Redmond Association of Spokenword presents poet Joan Pasch – 7:00pm – at Los Pajaros Studio Gallery

28 – Aug 2 – St. Helena, CA – Napa Valley Writers’ Conference

31 – BIRTHDAY – Kim Addonizio

1-31 – August Poetry Postcard Fest

1 – everywhere – Early bird registration opens for AWP 2020 Conference & Bookfair

1-3 – Mendocino & Ft. Bragg, CA – Mendocino Coast Writers’ Conference

2-4 – Portland, OR – Willamette Writers Conference – at the Airport Sheraton Hotel

3 – BIRTHDAY – Diane Wakoski

4 – Bellingham – Summer Sunday poetry reading at the book box featuring Luther Allen – 5:00pm – at 1507 Larrabee

5 – BIRTHDAY – Wendell Berry, Ron Silliman

6 – Port Townsend – Northwind Reading Series presents Art Port Townsend Ekphrastic Evening – 7:00pm – at Northwind Arts Center

7-11 – Winston-Salem, NC – Haiku North America – at the Hawthorne Inn

8 – everywhere – Homology Lit open for submissions through September 30

15-18 – Sechelt, BC – 37th Annual Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts

18 – Portland, OR – Lilla Lit reading series – 4:00pm – at Leach Botanical Garden

20 – BIRTHDAY – Heather McHugh

22 – Port Townsend – Northwind Reading Series presents Art Port Townsend Ekphrastic Evening – 7:00pm – at Northwind Arts Center

28 – BIRTHDAY – Rita Dove

30 – Redmond – Redmond Association of Spokenword presents Jack Straw Writers: Dianne Aprile, Josh Axelrad, and Michael Schmeltzer – 7:00pm – at Los Pajaros Studio Gallery

1 – everywhere – Clackamas Literary Review open for submissions through December 31

1 – everywhere – Willow Springs open for submissions through May 31

1 – Bellingham – Summer Sunday poetry reading at the book box featuring open mic followed by a potluck – 5:00pm – at 1507 Larrabee

5 – BIRTHDAY – Nicanor Parra

6-8 – La Conner – Poets on the Coast 2019

10 – BIRTHDAY – Mary Oliver

11 – BIRTHDAY – Ryler Dustin

12 – Port Townsend – Northwind Reading Series presents Judith Adams & Sierra Golden – 7:00pm – at Northwind Arts Center

12-15 – SeaTac – Pacific Northwest Writers Association Conference – at DoubleTree by Hilton Seattle Airport Hotel

14-15 – Kalispell, MT – 29th Flathead River Writers Conference

14-15 – Salem, OR – Fall 2019 Oregon Poetry Association Conference

15 – everywhere – Bellingham Review open for submissions through December 1

15 – everywhere – Crab Creek Review Literary Journal open for submissions through November 15

15 – everywhere – CutBank, The Literary Journal of the University of Montana open for submissions through February 1

15 – everywhere – Poetry Northwest open for submissions through January 15

20 – Seattle – Book Launch Reading: Tina Schumann’s Praising the Paradox with Jill McCabe Johnson – 7:00pm – at Open Books

21 – Seattle – Reading with Francesca Bell & Brian Laidlaw – 7:00pm – at Open Books

21-22 – Bellingham – Bellingham SeaFeast

22-28 – Everywhere – Banned Books Week

24-29 – Vancouver, BC – Word Vancouver

25 – Portland, OR – Margaret Atwood in conversation with Omar El Akkad – 7:30pm – at Keller Auditorium

27-29 – Tieton – LiTFUSE

28 – Seattle – Seattle Children’s Book Festival – 11:00am-3:00pm – at the Greenwood Elementary School

1 – everywhere – CALYX, A Journal of Art and Literature by Women open for submissions through December 31

2 – Seattle – Reading with James Arthur, Adèle Barclay, Keetje Kuipers & Ed Skoog – 7:00pm – at Open Books

3 – UK – National Poetry Day

3 – BIRTHDAY – Bill Porter (Red Pine)

4 – BIRTHDAY – James Bertolino, Susan J. Erickson

4-6 – Edmonds – Write on the Sound Writers’ Conference

5 – Bellingham – SpeakEasy 25: Reading Bertolino, an evening of poetry written and inspired by Jim Bertolino – 7:00pm – at Mount Baker Theatre Encore Room

8 – everywhere – Homology Lit open for submissions through November 30

10 – Port Townsend – Northwind Reading Series presents Cheryl Merrill – 7:00pm – at Northwind Arts Center

14 – BIRTHDAY – Ocean Vuong

15 – BIRTHDAY – Kim Stafford

18-20 – Bellevue – Emerald City Writers’ Conference

20 – Bellingham – Victoria Doerper reads from her new collection, What If We All Bloomed? – 4:00pm – at Village Books

24-27 – Seabeck – Seabeck Haiku Getaway with theme “attention” – at Seabeck Conference Center

25-27 – Surrey, BC – Surrey International Writers’ Conference

31 – Nov 3 – Port Orchard – Northwest Writers’ Weekend

1-30 – everywhere – National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo)

1 – everywhere – Floating Bridge Press Chapbook Competition open for submissions through March 15

1 – everywhere – Windfall: A Journal of Poetry of Place open for submissions through February 1

2 – Lummi Island – TLC Writing Workshop

4-10 – Kauai, HI – The Kauai Writers Conference

7 – Port Townsend – Northwind Reading Series presents A Collaborative Reading with Sheila Bender, Gayle Kaune, Sharon Carter, Linda Robertson & Holly Hughes – 7:00pm – at Northwind Arts Center

9 – Portland, OR – Portland Book Festival – at the Portland Art Museum

9 – Van Zandt – Annual Poetry Cafe – 7:00pm – at Van Zandt Hall

17 – Portland, OR – Lilla Lit reading series – 4:00pm – at Leach Botanical Garden

1 – everywhere – The Poeming Pigeon open for submissions for Issue 10, Pop Culture, through January 31

2 – BIRTHDAY – Samuel Green

1-31 – everywhere – Psaltery & Lyre open for submissions

2 – BIRTHDAY – Jimmy Santiago Baca

9 – BIRTHDAY – Kelli Russell Agodon

9-19 – Seaside, OR – Pacific University Residency Writers Conference

13 – BIRTHDAY – Megan Snyder-Camp

17 – BIRTHDAY – William Stafford

20 – BIRTHDAY – Bruce Beasley

22 – BIRTHDAY – Luther Allen

1-28 – everywhere – National Haiku Writing Month (NaHaiWriMo)

1 – BIRTHDAY – Joannie Stangeland

4 – BIRTHDAY – Elizabeth Vignali

6 – BIRTHDAY – Rena Priest

19 – BIRTHDAY – Rick Barot

25 – BIRTHDAY – Elizabeth J. Colen

27 – BIRTHDAY – Oliver de la Paz

28 – Mar 1 – Astoria, OR – FisherPoets Gathering

1-31 – Whatcom County – Submissions open for Sue C. Boynton Poetry Contest

1 – BIRTHDAY – Brenda Miller

4 – U.S. – National Grammar Day

4-7 – San Antonio, TX – AWP Conference & Bookfair 2020 – at Henry B. González Convention Center

12 – BIRTHDAY – Naomi Shihab Nye

18 – BIRTHDAY – Wilfred Owen

23 – BIRTHDAY – Lana Hechtman Ayers

1-30 – National Poetry Month and NaPoWriMo

4 – BIRTHDAY – Anita K. Boyle

11 – BIRTHDAY – Maria McLeod

14 – BIRTHDAY – Jericho Brown

23 – BIRTHDAY – Coleman Barks

25 – BIRTHDAY – Ted Kooser, James Fenton

28 – BIRTHDAYS – Carolyn Forché, Roberto Bolaño

29 – BIRTHDAY – Yusef Komunyakaa

1-30 – National Poetry Month and NaPoWriMo

1 – everywhere – Windfall: A Journal of Poetry of Place open for submissions through August 1

9 – BIRTHDAY – Charles Simic, Dan Chiasson

12 – BIRTHDAY – Bernadette Mayer

14 – BIRTHDAY – Elizabeth Austen, Lea Galanter

24 – BIRTHDAY – Tom Phillips

30 – Seattle – Seattle Baroque Soloists present “For All Our Sisters” including poetry by Jennifer Bullis – 7:30pm – at Benaroya Hall

31 – BIRTHDAY – Walt Whitman

3 – BIRTHDAY – Allen Ginsberg (June 3, 1926 – April 5, 1997)

5 – BIRTHDAY – Federico García Lorca (June 5, 1898 – August 18, 1936)

7 – BIRTHDAY – Gwendolyn Brooks, Nikki Giovanni

16 – Ireland & elsewhere – Bloomsday

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