The Nantucket Poetry Festival returns this week for its third season, bringing four days of readings, workshops, conversations, and community events to venues across the island.
Founded by Anna Popnikolova in 2024, the festival celebrates poetry in all its forms while bringing together visiting writers and voices from Nantucket’s own creative community. This year’s visiting poets include Wyn Cooper, Andrea Cohen, Melissa Cundieff, John Bonanni, and Mary Ellen Redmond, alongside local poets Lucy McGowan, JohnCarl McGrady, Judy Belash, Sandy MacDonald, and others.
The festival begins Thursday, August 27, with Poetry Out of the Archives at the Nantucket Historical Association’s Research Library, offering a look at Nantucket’s long tradition of poetry through selections from the NHA archives.
Events continue throughout the weekend with readings and workshops before concluding Sunday with an open mic hosted by the Nantucket Atheneum-a chance for poets and members of the community to share their own work.
One of the best parts of the festival is its accessibility. All readings are free and open to the public, and most workshops are also free, although advance registration is required for workshops.
Whether you’re a longtime poetry reader, a writer yourself, or simply looking for something different to do as August winds down, the Nantucket Poetry Festival offers another way to experience the island’s creative side.
The Nantucket Poetry Festival takes place August 27–30, 2026. Visit nantucketpoetry.com for the complete schedule and workshop registration.