Poetry Postcard Fest 2027
Registration IS OPEN
The Poetry Postcard Fest is an annual 56-day experiment in spontaneity and community building. This literarary event is a self-guided workshop in spontaneous composition where people sign up & must send 31 original poems on postcards to folks on a participation list before the end of August. The fest was initiated in 2007 by poets Paul E. Nelson and Lana Ayers, and has grown to include poets participating worldwide. Registration opens annually on September 1.
Poetry as Neuro-Resilience
Explore practices that help keep consciousness attuned to the realities of the world - and discover how poetry can emerge from that depth. In this five-week workshop, Paul E. Nelson guides participants through readings, interviews, journaling, and writing exercise rooted in the Cascadia bioregion. All levels are welcome; openness and a commitment to the practice are all that's required.
Learn more about Poetry as Neuro-Resilience →
Suggested donation: $130–$275
Saturday Cohort
Saturdays 9-11 AM Pacific Time
November 21, 2026 – December 19, 2026
Sunday Cohort
Sundays 3-5 PM Pacific Time
November 22, 2026 – December 20, 2026
How it Works
The fest is a self-guided 56 day workshop in spontaneous composition and community. Click to learn more about How it Works.
Poetry Postcard Fest News
Epic Post-Fest Prompt Workshop
Get your five page handout loaded with links, prompts and inspirations if you register for this one day workshop before June 10. Take a look inside our current workshop group that started after the...
Earlybird Registration Ends June 4
Dear Postcard Poet, The earlybird registration for 2022 (Year 16 of the Poetry Postcard Fest) ends June 4 and the price will nudge up a bit for those who wait for the last month, so... if you're...
Lawrence Pevec on Postcard Poetry
Our intrepid interviewer Ina Roy caught up with two time participant, Colorado resident Lawrence Pevec, to discuss his experience with the Poetry Postcard Fest. He talked about his main focus, the...
Laura Gamache Interviewed by Ina Roy
Seattle poet and teaching artist Laura Gamache has published in journals and anthologies, including Rattle, Altered Syntax, So, Dear Writer, and WA129, as well as her chapbooks, Never Enough and...
Daniel Smith Interviewed by Ina Roy-Faderman
56 Days of August Co-Editor Ina Roy-Faderman caught up with longtime postcard poet Daniel Smith to talk about his 2021 Poetry Postcard Fest experience. 2022 Poetry Postcard Fest Registration is OPEN...
Penelope Moffet Interview
I caught up Wednesday, November 17, 2021, with Southern California poet Penelope Moffet about her Poetry Postcard Fest experience. Penelope Moffet is the author of It Isn’t That They Mean to Kill...
DaySong 2024
DaySong 2024 on September 1 The DaySong is a poem written in a 24 hour period (or the 16 or so hours you’re awake during a 24 hour period). The DaySong was originally envisioned as an attempt to...
Zach Charles Mid ’24 PPF
From PPF Committee Member Zach Charles: Yet again, while reflecting on the Poetry Postcard Fest, I am drawn to the way the project can reveal the power of the accident. This year, unrelated to the...
This Fest is For the Birds
This Fest is For the Birds From PPF committee member Margaret Lee: I arose this morning before the full moon had set. Driving west and then south en route to Deep Fork, my shifting vantage showed me...
The Poetry Postcard Fest, initiated by poets Paul Nelson and Lana Ayers in 2007, invites participants to create and send 31 original poems on postcards throughout August. The fest emphasizes spontaneity, with poems written in one take directly onto postcards for recipients worldwide. Registration opens annually on September 1, and participants receive a list of fellow poets to exchange cards with. A $15 contribution supports the Cascadia Poetics LAB, and scholarships are available. For more details and resources on postcard poetry, visit How it Works or check out related essays and wrap-ups from past participants.
How the Poetry Postcard Fest Works
Abhaya Thomas Postcard
How the Poetry Postcard Fest Works
The Poetry Postcard Fest, initiated by poets Paul Nelson and Lana Ayers in 2007, invites participants to create and send 31 original poems on postcards throughout August. The fest emphasizes spontaneity, with poems written in one take directly onto postcards for recipients worldwide. Registration opens annually on September 1, and participants receive a list of fellow poets to exchange cards with. A $15 contribution supports the Cascadia Poetics LAB, and scholarships are available. For more details and resources on postcard poetry, visit How it Works or check out related essays and wrap-ups from past participants.
Abhaya Thomas Postcard