Debut Poets Virtual Reading 2026

January 21, 2026 to January 22, 2026

Join Poets & Writers Magazine features editor India Lena González for a celebration of the ten debut poets featured in “New Ways of Seeing: Our Twenty-First Annual Look at Debut Poets.” The virtual event will take place over two evenings and include readings from the poets as well as conversation about their debut books, their influences and inspirations, and their individual paths to publication.


From the current issue of Poets & Writers Magazine: “These poets remind us to be patient with our growth and to honor the time it may take for our creative vision to align with our skill set, should we hit a literary impasse. … Recommendations to combat writer’s block include deleting social media apps and getting out of your mind and into your body. [Nadia] Alexis tells us to ‘befriend self-compassion. Revisit your love of writing and make a home there. … Trust that your day will come, and it will be glorious.’ Glorious, indeed. These ten poets not only share real-life stories and advice, but also offer us, with their debut collections, new ways of seeing and understanding our outer and inner worlds.”

This special event includes two programs:

Program 1: Wednesday, January 21, at 7PM EST
Esther Lin, author of Cold Thief Place (Alice James Books)
Nadia Alexis, author of Beyond the Watershed (CavanKerry Press)
Bernardo Wade, author of A Love Tap (Lookout Books)
Lena Moses-Schmitt, author of True Mistakes (University of Arkansas Press)
Chaun Ballard, author of Second Nature (Boa Editions)

Program 2: Thursday, January 22, at 7PM EST
Gbenga Adesina, author of Death Does Not End at the Sea (University of Nebraska Press)
Kalehua Kim, author of Mele (Trio House Press)
Daniel Ruiz, author of Reality Checkmate (Four Way Books)
Annie Wenstrup, author of The Museum of Unnatural Histories (Wesleyan University Press)

Both programs are free. RSVP now to receive the Zoom links for our Wednesday and Thursday evening programs.