Poetry Center Book Award

The Poetry Center Book Award has been presented annually since 1980 by The Poetry Center, San Francisco State University, to a single outstanding book of poetry published in the prior year. Watch video, from recent years, of readings by award winners and judges: Lynn Xu + Jacob Kahn • Michael Kleber-Diggs + Cynthia Parker Ohene • Kiki Petrosino + Tongo Eisen-Martin • jayy dodd + Lourdes Figueroa • Ashley Toliver + Jason Bayani • Lauren Levin + Melissa Mack • Bao Phi + Sarah Menefee • Orlando White (more)

Lynn Xu and Jacob Kahn: May 2, 2024

The Poetry Center presents Lynn Xu and Jacob Kahn, reading their work and engaging in conversation with one another and...

Date: 2024-05-02

Michael Kleber-Diggs and Cynthia Parker-Ohene: November 16, 2023

The Poetry Center presents Michael Kleber-Diggs and Cynthia Parker-Ohene, each reading from their recent books of poetry....

Date: 2023-11-16

Kiki Petrosino and Tongo Eisen-Martin: December 1, 2022

The Poetry Center presents Kiki Petrosino, whose book of poetry  White Blood: A Lyric of Virginia...

Date: 2022-12-01

jayy dodd and Lourdes Figueroa: October 28, 2021

The Poetry Center presents jayy dodd, whose book  The Black Condition ft. Narcissus  (Nightboat Books,...

Date: 2021-10-28

Ashley Toliver and Jason Bayani: September 17, 2020

The Poetry Center presents a reading by Ashley Toliver, Poetry Center Book Award-winner for her book of poems, ...

Date: 2020-09-17

Lauren Levin and Melissa Mack: February 21, 2019

The Poetry Center presents Lauren Levin and Melissa Mack, reading and in conversation. Melissa Mack, judge for the Poetry...

Date: 02/21/2019

Bao Phi and Sarah Menefee: November 14, 2019

The Poetry Center presents Poetry Center Book Award winner Bao Phi, reading and in conversation with award judge Sarah...

Date: 2019-11-14

Orlando White and Patrick James Dunagan: April 27, 2017

The Poetry Center presents Orlando White, recipient of the Poetry Center Book Award for LETTERRS (Nightboat Books, 2015)....

Date: 04/27/2017

Hollie Hardy and Mukta Sambrani: May 5, 2016

The Poetry Center presents Hollie Hardy reading from her Poetry Center Book Award winning volume How to Take a Bullet and...

Date: 05/05/2016

Alli Warren and Laura Moriarty: February 19, 2015

The Poetry Center presents Alli Warren reading from her Poetry Center Book Award winning book, Here Come the Warm Jets...

Date: 05/19/2015

Stephen Ratcliffe: October 2, 2014

The Poetry Center presents a solo reading by Stephen Ratcliffe, who received the Poetry Center Book Award for his...

Date: 2014-10-02