On select Mondays until April 21, 2025, the Free Library of Philadelphia’s Literature Department celebrates the 30th anniversary of their Monday Poets poetry reading series with the theme Sankofa, a Twi word from the Akan tribe of Ghana loosely translated as, that to move forward, one must “go back and get it”.
The Literature Department’s Monday Poets series is one of the longest-running programs for adults at the Free Library. Each event will be hosted by a different library in Philadelphia, presenting a past Monday poet and introducing a new one.
”Monday Poets exists to inspire and connect poets and community members across the city of Philadelphia.”
– The Free Library of Philadelphia, Literature Department
About Monday Poets
Former Literature Department librarians Michele Gendron and Michele Belluomini began Monday Poets in 1994 to support local published poets. Over the years local, national and international poets have read and engaged with community members in person. During the peak of the COVID-19 emergency, the series continued online. Songs inspired by poems have been written and performed, and the Literature Department’s American poetry section is full of works by past Monday Poets and local writers in their orbit. Monday Poets is an important part of the culture of the Literature Department and the programming history at the Free Library.
(Photo credits: The Free Library of Philadelphia, Literature Department.)
Event details
Hosted by: The Free Library of Philadelphia, Literature Department
Type of event: poetry reading series
Schedule (including poet bios):
- Monday, October 21, 2024 @ 5:30 PM ET: Vernita Hall and Lindo Jones at Lucien E. Blackwell West Philadelphia Regional Library
- Monday, November 18, 2024 @ 5:30 PM ET: M. Nzadi Keita and Mabel Lee at Thomas F. Donatucci, Sr. Library
- Monday, December 16, 2024 @ 5:30 PM ET: Jeffrey Ethan Lee and Cydney Brown at Northeast Regional Library
- Monday, January 27, 2025 @ 4:00 PM ET: Marissa Johnson-Valenzuela and Andrea Walls at Widener Library
- Monday, February 24, 2025 @ 5:30 PM ET: Trapeta B. Mayson and 王潇/Evan Wang at Joseph E. Coleman Northwest Regional Library
- Monday, March 17, 2025 @ 5:30 PM ET: Mytili Jagannathan and Allison Whittenberg at Fishtown Community Library
- Monday, April 21, 2025 @ 6:00 PM ET: Lawrence Dugan and Gabriel Ramirez, with Kai Davis, at Parkway Central Library
Watch past recordings: Watch the videos here.
Monday Poets book list: See the book list here.
Cost: Free
Contact Details: Free Library of Philadelphia, Literature Department, Parkway Central Library, 1901 Vine Street, 2nd Floor, Pepper Hall (Room 207), Philadelphia, PA 19103, USA; (215) 686-5402, literature@freelibrary.org, freelibrary.org/locations/departments/literature-department
Content warning: For adults 18+.
Accessibility: Please refer to the individual library venues.