Next Conference

Date: Thursday-Sunday, June 12-15, 2025
Place: Madison, Wisconsin
Keynote: Ross Gay
Theme: 75th Anniversary

Save the date for our 75th Anniversary event in Madison June 12-15, 2025. Our keynote will be Ross Gay. More details will be shared soon.

About Ross Gay

Ross Gay is interested in joy.

Ross Gay wants to understand joy.

Ross Gay is curious about joy.

Ross Gay studies joy.

Something like that.

Ross Gay is the author of four books of poetry: Against Which; Bringing the Shovel Down; Be Holding, winner of the PEN American Literary Jean Stein Award; and Catalog of Unabashed Gratitude, winner of the 2015 National Book Critics Circle Award and the 2016 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award. In addition to his poetry, Ross has released three collections of essays—The Book of Delights was released in 2019 and was a New York Times bestseller; Inciting Joy was released in 2022, and his newest collection, The Book of (More) Delights was released in September of 2023.

The WFOP holds a conference once a year, with locations rotating around the state. Fifty to a hundred of the state's most passionate poets gather to engage in workshops, readings, open mics and book fairs. Distinguished poets are frequent guest speakers. Please check back here for more information, and consult our opportunities and resources pages for news of other activities.

Buy Our Swag

Show your support for WFOP with a tote, T-shirt or sweatshirt. Go to our swag site.