How to Organize a Poetry Reading

Sharing poetry with other people can be a fun and inspirational experience. It's great when you can share the words that you have written so carefully from your heart, and touch the hearts of others. Organizing a poetry reading can be easy, yet a bit challenging put together. By speaking with the correct people and organizations, finding a place to host the reading can be simple, but the hardest part is drawing in a crowd. By doing plenty of advertising and word of mouth, word is sure to get out about the special poetry reading that you are planning.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

1. Decide on a time and place that you would like to have the poetry reading. Then decide on what kind of poetry reading that you would like to have. Write down all of these ideas into a notebook.
2. Make a decision about if you are going to charge an admission to the poetry reading or if you will only be taking donations.
3. Gather some of your friends, and those who enjoy reading and writing poetry. Have them participate in your upcoming poetry reading.
4. Create some colorful flyers about the upcoming poetry reading. Include the place, time and type of poetry reading. Pass them around your local area to businesses, libraries, schools, grocery stores and other busy locations.
5. Contact your local newspapers and add press releases about the poetry reading to try get attention from other townspeople too.
6. Write down a list of your family and friend's names. Send out invitations letting everybody know about your upcoming poetry reading. Tell them to invite a friend along too!
7. Organize some of your poetry and your friends' poetry too. Brainstorm together on the number of poems you will read and what type of poems that you will be presenting.
8. Have fun and catch the audience's attention with your words by speaking clearly, and putting emphasis on the words and messages that you would like the audience to get from the poetry reading.

Tips & Warnings

• To keep people involved and their attention at the reading, include some light snacks at the reading such as punch and cookies, mints or mini sandwiches.
• To make the reading fun, ask if anyone from the audience would like to share some of their own poetry to read.
• Contact your local chamber of commerce, churches, library or schools if you are stumped about where to have your poetry readings. Sometimes local businesses such as restaurants or cafes might let you host your readings there and also libraries and churches would have extra space as well.

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