In April 2021, Salem, MA will be the epicenter of contemporary American poetry, offering rare opportunities to hear the nation’s best poets read and discuss their work in intimate and engaging forums. Join Eileen Cleary (Poetry, June 2016), Steven Cramer (Poetry, MFA Writing Faculty), Christine Jones (Poetry, January 2014), and Kyle Potvin as they read from the anthology Voices Amidst the Virus: Poets Respond to the Pandemic. The festival was co-founded by Cindy Hunter Morgan (Poetry).

The Massachusetts Poetry Festival is a biennial poetry festival, showcasing poetry readings and workshops, a small press and literary fair, panels, poetry slams, visual arts, and open-air performances. Panel topics range broadly from the state of poetry, poetry and gender, book publishing, and modernism in contemporary art. The festival also hosts the Student Day of Poetry, a poetry field trip for middle and high school students, who engage in writing-generative workshops with the region’s top poets and educators. Nearly 300 local and nationally known poets engage with thousands of attendees each festival.

Due to COVID-19, the 2021 Massachusetts will take place in a virtual-hybrid format with the majority of events offered virtually and a select number of events offered in Salem, MA. All in-person events will have the option for attendees to participate virtually.