The Hot Springs Poetry Festival is set to begin on Sunday, November 1, and will run through Sunday, November 8, offering both online and in-person events. The festival aims to promote accessibility to poetry for all Arkansans and to celebrate the work of local poets.
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Samm Binns, co-founder and organizer of the festival, emphasized the inspiration drawn from Hot Springs’ rich poetry history, highlighting the longstanding Wednesday Night Poetry open mic, which has been active since 1989, the longest-running event of its kind in the United States. This year's festival will feature a book fair, an addition not included in the previous year.
The book fair will welcome various literary organizations and authors from across Arkansas, including the University of Arkansas’ Arkansas International literary magazine and the University of Arkansas Special Collections. Sibling Rivalry Press, known for supporting marginalized communities, will also participate, particularly in a special event celebrating LGBTQ+ poets towards the festival’s conclusion.
Binns spoke about the festival's effort to honor C.D. Wright's legacy, who created “A Reader’s Map of Arkansas.” Inspired by her work, the festival plans to develop a living map that will feature Arkansas poets, continuously updated to include more voices from the community.
Binns shared that poetry has always been a personal outlet for him, allowing for expression of complex feelings and thoughts. He noted the diverse and sometimes harsh beauty of Arkansas’s landscape, which influences many local poets.
The festival is designed to be welcoming, especially for those who might feel intimidated by poetry. An early event, the Poetry Playground at the Garland County Library, invites participants to explore language in a playful manner. Additionally, Binns expressed excitement for various events throughout the week, including online workshops and a film screening of a documentary on late poet Andrea Gibson.
A significant aspect of the festival will be the release of a zine, which will compile poetry and artwork from local authors, offering some their first opportunity for publication. The festival hopes to expand its impact and become an independent nonprofit in the coming year.
Volunteers are still welcomed to help with events and activities throughout the year. The Hot Springs Poetry Festival aims not only to be a week-long event but also to foster a continuous celebration of poetry in the community.
For further details and the full event lineup, visit HSPF.org.