The San Francisco State University Poetry Center showcases outstanding poets and writers from across the literary spectrum at roughly 30 public readings, performances and lectures each year.

In 2016, the premier Writer in Residence Award was given to Bay Area poet and activist Tongo Eisen-Martin. He spent one week with the students of poetry and drama, and presented performances both on and off the SFSU campus, with intensive student and community involvement. The residency paired classroom workshop situations aimed at university students with performances open to the general public.

Writer in Residence Awards are granted in the Spring and Fall of each year.

The Poetry Center, founded in 1954, features a reading series that is one of the longest-running such programs in the country, with roots in the 1950s San Francisco Poetry Renaissance. The Poetry Center also houses the American Poetry Archives, a collection approaching 5,000 hours of original audio and video recordings documenting our reading series.

Learn more at https://poetry.sfsu.edu.