8th Cascadia Poetry Festival to Celebrate Bioregional Art and Culture

The Cascadia Poetics Lab is set to host the 8th Cascadia Poetry Festival from November 1-3, 2024, in Seattle, Washington. This annual event brings together poets, writers, and academics from across the Cascadia bioregion and beyond to celebrate and explore the unique literary culture of the Pacific Northwest.

The festival will feature a diverse array of activities, including writing workshops, panel discussions, poetry readings, and celebrations. Events will take place at several notable Seattle venues, including the Richard Hugo House, Spring Street Center, Seattle University, and the Neukom Vivarium at the Olympic Sculpture Park.

A highlight of this year's festival is the launch of 'Cascadia Zen: Bioregional Writings on Cascadia Here and Now, Volume II.' This anthology, published by Watershed Press (a project of the Cascadia Poetics Lab), explores the intersections of bioregionalism, poetics, and Zen philosophy. The publication of this second volume follows the successful release of the first edition at last year's festival, underscoring the ongoing exploration of Cascadian identity through literature.

The event will feature an impressive lineup of writers and academics, including C.A. Conrad, Fred Wah, Koon Woon, CS Giscombe, and many others. Workshops on offer include 'Poetry as Walking and Mapping' with Jami Macarty and Meredith Quartermain, and 'Writing and Meditative Openness: How They Interact' with Daphne Marlatt and Fred Wah, providing attendees with unique opportunities to develop their craft and engage with established poets.

A significant component of the festival is the Floricanto Cascadia, scheduled for Saturday afternoon at the Hugo House. This free event will showcase Indigenous American poets, with a focus on Mexican-American, Chicana/o, and Latinx poetry from throughout Latin America present in Cascadia. The Floricanto coincides with Día de los Muertos weekend and will include the construction of an altar by poets and CPL Board Members.

The Cascadia Poetry Festival is more than just a literary event; it serves as a platform for exploring and celebrating the unique cultural identity of the Cascadia bioregion. By bringing together diverse voices and perspectives, the festival contributes to the ongoing dialogue about place, identity, and the role of poetry in shaping regional consciousness.

The event's focus on bioregionalism and its intersection with poetry and Zen philosophy reflects a growing interest in place-based literature and ecological awareness. This approach to understanding and expressing regional identity through art and literature can have far-reaching implications for how communities perceive themselves and their relationship to the environment.

Support for the festival comes from a wide range of cultural and arts organizations, including 4Culture, the National Endowment for the Arts, and Humanities Washington, among others. This broad base of support underscores the festival's importance as a cultural event and its potential impact on the literary landscape of the Pacific Northwest.

As the Cascadia Poetry Festival enters its eighth year, it continues to evolve and expand its reach. The event not only provides a platform for established poets but also nurtures emerging voices, contributing to the vitality and diversity of the region's literary scene. By fostering connections between writers, readers, and scholars, the festival plays a crucial role in shaping the future of Cascadian literature and cultural identity.