Nurturing a strong, interconnected literary community in Whatcom County and beyond.
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!
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.
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.
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!