Founded in 1970, Poets & Writers will soon celebrate fifty years of service to American writers. Our work is rooted in the belief that literature is vital to sustaining a vibrant culture. We nurture literature’s source: creative writers. Our mission is to foster the professional development of poets and writers, to promote communication throughout the literary community, and to help create an environment in which literature can be appreciated by the widest possible public.

In 1990, we launched the California Readings & Workshops program, and since then have supported tens of thousands of literary events, reaching audiences in every county in the state, and paying hundreds of thousands of dollars to writers appearing in these events. The Readings & Workshops program encourages and validates writers, nurtures literary programming, and fosters partnerships and the exchange of information and ideas, helping to knit together the state’s diverse literary communities.