The weekend before the WI Book Fest in Madison, don't miss The Lorine Niedecker Wisconsin Poetry Festival in Fort Atkinson! A true celebration of poetry in Wisconsin, the festival, held September 24 & 25, provides an opportunity for poets, poetry appreciators, and publishers to gather around poetry along the Rock River in Fort Atkinson. Below you will find information about the featured presenters at this year's event. Please visit the Lorine Niedecker website for complete event information.

Lester Smith is the current president of the Wisconsin Fellowship of Poets and principal of Popcorn Press. He will host the Poetry Festival kick off poetry reading.

Angela Rydell and Laurel Yourke, published poets, writers, and teachers in UW-Madison's Division of Continuing Studies, will co-host the workshop "Write Like A Poet: Tricks Poets Can Teach Every Writer." 

John Lehman, poetry editor of Wisconsin People & Ideas, poet, writer, and publisher will host readers at the Wisconsin Poetry Showcase.

Tom Montag, poet, essayist, publisher, and curmudgeon brings together a panel speaking to the “Nature of Wisconsin Poetry.”

Angela Sorby, poet and winner of the Brittingham Prize in Poetry, the Lorine Niedecker Poetry Award from the Council for Wisconsin Writers and Outstanding Achievement in Poetry Award from the Wisconsin Library Association, will be a featured reader at the Wisconsin Poetry Festival.

Bill Camplin, singer-songwriter, poet, and owner of the Café Carpe, gathering spot for folk, bluegrass, country, and eclectic musicians, poets and actors, will offer a non-conforming evening to cap the Poetry Festival.