BELFAST — The annual Belfast Poetry Festival marks its eighteenth year with a full plate of poetry, community, and artistic possibility, Thursday October 12 - Sunday October 15 at various venues throughout Belfast. An all-arts festival with poetry as the driving force, the event features live music, live readings, projected artwork, multimedia presentations, workshops, and fun, unconventional poetry activities throughout town. All events except workshops are free and open to the public.

The collaborative showcase featuring poetry in conversation with visual and performing arts returns Saturday, October 14, at Troy A. Howard Middle School, 173 Lincolnville Avenue, Belfast, with a reception at 6 p.m., and the presentation of collaborative work and readings of contest winners from 6:30 to 8. The 2023 lineup includes poets Tom Daley, Heather Nelson, and Tzynya Pinchback with musician and artist Tom Daley; poet Kathleen Ellis with poet and artist Annaliese Jakimides; experimental sound artist id m theft able with poet Stefania Irene Marthakis; poet Mihku Paul with artist and animator Dawn Nye; poet Sampson Spadafore with painter and musician Greg Jamie; and poet Meghan Sterling with artist Alex Rheault.

The 2023 collaborative showcase will also include readings of winning poems from the Maine Postmark Poetry Contest, judged by poet Kirun Kapur:  First Place Winner: Matt Bernier, Pittsfield, "Death of a Fox"; Second Place Winner: Nancy Sobanik, Lyman, "Falling Birds"; Third Place Winner: Alice Haines, Auburn, "At the Kitchen Table"; and honorable mentions Erika Arthur, Freedom, "Sea Scallop (Casco Bay)" and Katherine Norton, Long Island, Maine, "SHARING THE KALE." Other finalists include Erin Covey-Smith, Freeport, "Library"; Lenora Jackson, Rockland, "The Chemical Queen of Long Island"; Jeanne Julian, South Portland, "The child I never had should know"; Anne Rankin, Brunswick, "Pattern of Barely"; and Rhea Côté Robbins, Brewer, "Curse of the Purse."

This year’s festival also includes two unique open readings. During the United Farmers Market, 18 Spring Street in Belfast, Saturday October 14, from 10 - 11 a.m., there will be a pop-up open mic produced in collaboration with Senior College at Belfast and Waterfall Arts. Participants are encouraged to bring a poem to share. Then on Sunday, October 15, from 12 - 2 p.m., at Marshall Wharf Brewing Company, 36 Marshall Wharf, Belfast, the DRAFT series hosted by Toad Hall Editions returns, featuring an opportunity to try out first drafts of written work by reading them aloud in a fun, warm, welcoming atmosphere. This is an open reading, and participants are encouraged to bring poetry and short pieces (4-6 minutes per reader) to share.

On Thursday, October 12, at the Belfast Free Library, 106 High Street, Belfast, there will be a reading showcasing the Wheelbarrow Poets Group, Midcoast writers who gather weekly at the Belfast Free Library, from 6:30 - 8 p.m. Presenting poets include Cynthia Anderson, Margo Davis, Leslie Moore, former Belfast Poet Laureate Ellen Sander, former Belfast Poet Laureate Judy Kaber, and current Belfast Poet Laureate Maya Stein.

On Saturday, October 14, from 1 - 2:30 p.m., at Waterfall Arts, 256 High Street, Belfast, there will be a free activity where kids, families, and those of all ages can make tiny poetry books for participants to write in and take home.

The 2023 festival’s workshops include two workshops held at the Belfast Free Library, 106 High Street, Belfast. On Friday, October 13, from 4 - 6 p.m., Samaa Abdurraqib & Jefferson Navicky present A Collective Grief Workshop: From Root To Seed; and on Saturday, October 14, from 2 - 4 p.m., sound artist id m theft able & Jefferson Navicky present How To Be A Human Radio. Each workshop is $25 and preregistration is required. See the festival website at belfastpoetry.com for full details. 

The Belfast Poetry Festival, one of the few community-based, non-academic poetry festivals in the country, is generously supported by The Maine Review, the Belfast Free Library, the City of Belfast, Waterfall Arts, Senior College at Belfast, the United Farmers Market of Maine, Toad Hall Editions, and the office of the Belfast Poet Laureate.  For more information on this year’s events, the contest, or other programming, contact Jacob at belfastpoetryfestival@gmail.com or go to belfastpoetry.com.