Our Mission
The mission of the New Orleans Poetry Festival and Small Press Fair is to create a space for an inclusive and diverse group of writers to collaborate, share and influence each other while also being immersed in the distinctive literary culture of New Orleans. Our goal every year is to bring in poets and performers from across the globe to share their work and research in topics not only specific to writing but to all aspects of the Humanities, including cultural, political, ecological and historical disciplines relevant to contemporary New Orleans, Louisiana, and the world. We showcase the best writers New Orleans has to offer to our visitors, and to the local community we try to offer the most compelling authors from across the nation and the globe. The Festival is highly participatory with events ranging from workshops where you will be generating writing to open mics where you can share your work, from formal readings and panels to the most informal and collegial interactions and collaborations. For both locals and visitors we invite the active inspiration of four days of poetry immersion and collaboration, hopefully fostering further explorations and creations that continue beyond the time spent here in New Orleans.
Our History
The Fest began in 2016 as the brainchild of Megan Burns of Trembling Pillow Press and Bill Lavender of Lavender Ink/ Diálogos. The New Orleans Poetry Festival, Inc., is a 501C3 nonprofit corporation. All donations are tax deductible.
Our People
Click on a name to view bio, or click here to view all bios.
Founding Directors
Technical Director
Board
Tom Andes
Henry Goldkamp
Skye Jackson
Jessica Kinnison
Benjamin Morris
Sean Munro
Lisa Pasold
Amanda Emily Smith
Rodrigo Toscano
Bernardo Wade