About

Mission Statement

The West Chester University Poetry Center was created in 2000 to further the study and appreciation of poetry. The goals of the Poetry Center are:

to provide the nation's finest instruction in the diverse traditional techniques of poetry;
to provide an international forum for the discussion of poetic form and prosody;
to train teachers in the art of teaching poetry and poetic form;
to foster the necessary dialogue between practicing poets and critics in a culture that too often separates them;
to recognize poetic achievement through the Iris N. Spencer Awards;

Programs

The Center offers a variety of programs and activities that help expand its mission of bringing poetry to an ever-widening audience.

West Chester University Poetry Conference (WCUPC) is the nation's largest annual poetry conference. WCUPC is unique because it offers workshops in traditional poetic craft, and provides a national forum to discuss major trends in contemporary poetry. As critic Carlin Romano has noted, it is "the nation's most intellectually rigorous conference for poets." (Philadelphia Inquirer)
Iris N. Spencer Poetry Awards, including the Donald Justice Poetry Award, the Iris N. Spencer Undergraduate Poetry Award, and the Myong Cha Son Haiku Award.
Poet-in-residence
Poetry reading series

The West Chester University Poetry Center offers an active, interesting, and diverse slate of activities. We invite you to join us and discover the joys of poetry.