Welcome to National Poetry Month 2026!

Welcome to a month-long celebration of voice and vision. We’ve curated a diverse lineup of inclusive, high-energy, and accessible spaces designed for every writer and reader in our community. Whether you're here to listen or to take the stage, there’s a place for you in the room.

Thank you to our sponsors!

Celebrate the poetic season with events for readers, writers, and performers.

  • Experience national voices

    Watch the next Natianal Youth Poet Laureate be crowned at Omaha’s brand new Central Library.

  • Celebrate poetic milestones

    Teams from across Nebraska compete in poetry slams and complete for love, glory, and pop tarts.

  • Elevate local talent

    Join us at the Samuel Bak museum to celebrate the 2026-27 Nebraska Youth Poet Laureate.

  • Share your work

    For more than 20 years there have been active poetry slams in Nebraska. Come witness the energy that keeps this event running year after year.

  • “We are excited to partner with Nebraska Writers Collective to present the 10th Anniversary of the National Youth Poet Laureate Commencement. Ten years ago, Amanda Gorman was named the country’s first national winner, and it is fitting that the first organization in our network to offer a statewide title is supporting this historic milestone. The leadership, values, and community that NWC has cultivated make them a fitting partner to celebrate and elevate our nation’s top young poets.”

    Michael Cirelli, founder of the National Youth Poet Laureate program