Seward Poetry Festival 2026

The Seward Arts Council is proud to present the 2026 Seward Poetry Festival, a vibrant, community-centered celebration of poetry, storytelling, and creative expression taking place April 22–26, 2026.

This year’s festival is especially meaningful as we celebrate the release of the Alaska Literary Field Guide, a rich and evocative collection that explores Alaska through place-based writing. The book brings together voices from across the state, blending poetry, essays, and reflections that highlight Alaska’s landscapes, communities, and lived experiences.

We are honored to welcome featured editors Nancy Lord, Marybeth Holleman and contributors whose work helps shape this remarkable collection. In addition, we are excited to feature a free poetry workshop with Ray Ball. 

Throughout the week, festival participants and community members can enjoy a series of readings, workshops, and special events.

The main event on Saturday, April 25 2:00 PM featuring editors Nancy Lord and Marybeth Holleman does not require registration.

Some festival events are intentionally small to foster meaningful connection and conversation. These will require advance registration and may fill quickly. If an event you’re interested in is full, we encourage you to reach out to be added to a waitlist by contacting us at sewardartscouncil@gmail.com

Lastly, if you are registering for an event, we’re asking for attendees to please fill out a media release form which you can access here: