We're here for poetry... and for you!

The Whatcom Poetry Series has one goal: to inspire, broaden, and sustain a strong, interconnected literary community by providing opportunities to experience written and oral poetry. We're dedicated to ensuring that poetry plays a central role in fostering community, enlivening our public spaces, and engaging our collective imagination.​ Based in Bellingham, Washington, we serve poets, poetry-lovers, and the poetry-curious!​ 

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Looking to explore local writing groups, reading series, literary journals, and more? Get connected using our poetry phone book, or read on to learn about what we offer the public.

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As a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, the Whatcom Poetry Series funds the following community programs:

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• The Sue C. Boynton Contest, an all-ages competition that showcases winning poems on busses, downtown placards, in locally-illustrated anthologies, and at an annual awards reading.

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• The Salish Sea Poetry Festival, a free, weekend-long event in November during which downtown Bellingham plays host to readings, workshops, poetry-themed microbrews, local food specials, poetic graffiti, art installations, and more.

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• Seasonal Poetry Pop-Ups, during which participants migrate between breweries and favorite hangout spots across one Bellingham neighborhood, enjoying free readings and making new friends along the way.

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You can get involved by attending our free events, volunteering, or making a tax-deductible donation.

Come be part of this vibrant literary community. After all, the point of poetry... is people!