Cascadia Poetics Lab to Host 9th Cascadia Poetry Festival in Seattle
The 9th Cascadia Poetry Festival, organized by the Cascadia Poetics Lab, will bring together poets and academics to explore poetry's role in addressing environmental and social issues through workshops, panel discussions, and readings.
The Cascadia Poetics Lab is set to host the 9th Cascadia Poetry Festival from October 10 to 12, 2025, in Seattle, Washington. This event will feature a series of writing workshops, panel discussions, and readings with prominent poets and academics from the Cascadia bioregion and beyond. The festival's activities will take place at various venues, including the Rainier Beach Community Club, Kubota Garden, and Redwing Café, offering a unique blend of cultural and environmental engagement.
At the heart of the festival is the exploration of poetry's connection to environmental, political, historical, and sociological themes within the Cascadia bioregion. The event aims to challenge conventional political boundaries by prioritizing natural and cultural ones, suggesting a novel approach to tackling climate change and other urgent societal challenges. Featured speakers such as Brenda Cárdenas, Jim Dott, and Brenda Hillman, among others, will lead discussions and workshops on topics ranging from ekphrasis to poetry in times of crisis.
Workshops at the festival will delve into the practices of investigation, lyric and form, and the interplay between internal and external worlds, offering attendees a deep dive into the creative process. An afterparty hosted by Greg Bem of Carbonation Press and Cascadia 2050, the youth initiative of Cascadia Poetics Lab, will provide a casual setting for further discussion and networking at Jude's in Rainier Beach.
The festival is supported by a range of sponsors, including 4Culture, Creative West, and the National Endowment for the Arts, highlighting the event's significance in the cultural and artistic community. Registration for the festival, including gold passes, workshop packages, reading packages, and student passes, is now open. More details about the festival and the Cascadia Poetics Lab's initiatives can be found on their website: https://cascadiapoeticslab.org/cascadia-poetry-festival-9/. A complete schedule of the event is also available at https://cascadiapoeticslab.org/2025-cascadia-poetry-festival-9-schedule/.
This gathering not only celebrates the power of poetry but also underscores its potential to inspire change and foster a deeper connection with our environment and each other. By bringing together voices from across the Cascadia bioregion, the festival promises to be a pivotal event for poets, academics, and anyone interested in the intersection of art, culture, and environmental activism.