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In celebration of National Poetry Month, Hartford Public Library will host a multicultural celebration throughout two weeks in April featuring performances and workshops by noted poets and the public. From April 7 – April 16, special events will take place at the Library’s nine branches, culminating with a Community Celebration at the Downtown Library on Saturday, April 19. The citywide Hartford Loves Poetry festival is sponsored by the City of Hartford's Marketing, Events and Cultural Affairs Division, and is curated by award-winning poet Bessy Reyna.
“People have revered poetry throughout time and across the world, so the opportunity to create a poetry festival for Hartford sparked thoughts of the diversity and cultural richness of our many communities,” said Reyna. “I imagined hearing poems read in a variety of languages by people who just love poetry.”
Each day of the festival, an esteemed Connecticut poet will read original works and present a workshop to inspire participants from each Hartford neighborhood to write their own poems and share them during an open microphone session. At the festival’s grand finale, guests from throughout Greater Hartford will gather at the Library’s Downtown location to share and enjoy works presented in the participants’ native languages with English descriptions. Attendees will enjoy poems read in more than 16 languages, including Tamil, Bosnian, Greek, Spanish, Polish, and Hebrew, celebrating the region’s rich diversity.
All events are free and open to the public. For more information, visit hplct.org or email Bessy Reyna at bessyreyna@bessyreyna.com
Monday, April 7, 5:30-7:15pm; Park Branch, 744 Park Street
POET: Jose B. Gonzalez
Tuesday, April 8, 5:30-7:15pm; Goodwin Branch, 460 New Britain Avenue
POET: Marianela Medrano
Wednesday, April 9, 5:30-7:15pm; Dwight Branch, 7 New Park Avenue
POET: Leslie McGrath
Thursday, April 10, 5:30-7:15pm; Camp field Branch, 30 Campfield Avenue
POET: Pit Pinegar
Saturday, April 12, 3-5pm; Albany Branch, 1250 Albany Avenue
POET: John Stanizzi
Saturday, April 12, 3-5pm; Barbour Branch, 281 Barbour Street
POET: Ernie Blue
Monday, April 14, 5:30-7:15pm; Mark Twain Branch, 55 Forest Street
POET: Joyce Ashuntantang
Tuesday, April 15, 5:30-7:15pm; Blue Hills Branch, 649 Blue Hills Avenue
POET: Antoinette Brim
Wednesday, April 16, 5:30-7:15pm; Ropkins Branch, 1750 Main Street
POET: Kate Rushin
Saturday, April 19, 1-4pm; Downtown Branch, 500 Main Street
Hartford Loves Poetry Grand Finale:
A Community Celebration
ABOUT HARTFORD PUBLIC LIBRARY
The Hartford Public Library traces its roots to 1774. It operates 10 locations and a Library-on-Wheels in the City of Hartford. The Library receives more than 860,000 visits per year. Services include access to a large collection of materials for reading and research, as well as music and video. Programs provide education, information and enrichment to the people of Hartford in such areas as citizenship training, literacy, business skills and cultural awareness. The mission of Hartford Public Library is to provide free resources that inspire reading, guide learning, and encourage individual exploration. Visit hplct.org and the library’s new blog at blogs.hplct.org.
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