Celebrate National Poetry Month at the Library

April is National Poetry Month and we invite all poets, would be poets and poetry fans to celebrate with Buncombe County Public Libraries.  We’ll be hosting the following free events at libraries all over the county.  For more information on any of these programs, contact your friendly neighborhood library.

Black Out Poetry Kits Available at the Library
All Month Long
Every Library

Come to any library and pick up a free kit to create a black out poetry masterpiece. Black out poetry doesn’t start with a blank page, it starts with a page of words taken from an old book. Poets will eliminate words to create a poem composed of the words left on the page. Visit any branch of Buncombe County Public Libraries in April to pick up your very own black out poetry kit featuring markers, inspiration and pages of print to begin your creation. When you’re finished, photograph your creation and upload it to facebook or instagram. Tag your library’s account and we'll feature it as a post! You can also drop your poem by the library and we’ll post it for you. Kits are available while supplies last.

Poetry Contest at the Fairview Library

All Month Long

Fairview Library

(828) 250-6484

To celebrate National Poetry Month, the Friends of Fairview Library are hosting a poetry contest.  Poets of all ages are asked to submit a poem with a theme relating to the pandemic.  All styles are welcome:  haiku, sonnet, limerick, rhyming, narrative; and the poems can speak to an experience, a feeling, or anything else related to the pandemic.

Contest Rules:

1. Open to all ages
2. Only one poem can be submitted
3. Poems must be original and not previously published
4. Each Poem should have a title
5. Each poem should be no longer than 250 words.
6. Entries must be received by April 30
7. One prize will be awarded to an adult (18-up) and one prize will be awarded to a child 

Poems can be submitted digitally to Marsha Mills, mwjack@bellsouth.net, or dropped off in person at the library.  Each poem should include the writers name, age, contact information and your willingness to have your poem published in the Fairview Town Crier. Winners will be announced in May and the winning poems will be published in the June edition of the paper.  A live celebration of poetry will take place on Zoom in May!

Dark City Poets Society
Tuesday, April 6 at 6:15 PM
Black Mountain Library
105 Dougherty Street
828-250-4756

Join our supportive circle of poets. Whether you want to share a favorite work by a poet, get critiques of your own work, or cheer one another on, this is the group for you! This is a socially-distanced in-person meeting on the library’s back lawn. Attendees will need to register and follow all safety protocols. To register for this free event visit buncombecounty.org/library - click on the event on the library calendar to sign up.

Afternoon Tea and Poetry
Thursday, April 15 at 4:00 PM
Leicester Library ONLINE
(828) 250-6480

Brew a cup of tea or your beverage of choice and join us online for some poetry sharing in honor of National Poetry Month! Everyone is encouraged to bring a poem or two to share. The poems can be by published well- known authors or they can be your own! Let’s read and talk about the beauty and inspiration of poems together in a non-academic setting.    Please register for this free event at buncombecounty.org/library - click on the event on the library calendar to sign up.

Poet Mildred Barya
Tuesday, April 27 at 7:00 PM
Black Mountain Library ONLINE
828-250-4756

Celebrate National Poetry month with WNC poet and author Mildred Barya. Dr. Barya is a Ugandan poet and fiction writer who has authored three poetry books and teaches creative writing at UNCA.  Please register for this free event at buncombecounty.org/library - click on the event on the library calendar to sign up.