You don’t need running shoes for The Poetry Marathon, an annual, online event focused on generating new work within a set timeline. The challenge is to write 12 poems in 12 hours (a half marathon) or 24 poems in 24 hours (a full marathon) at the rate of one poem per hour.
This free, international event draws hundreds of poets from around the world, and like any endurance challenge, it takes true commitment and perseverance. Do you have what it takes?
This year’s marathon will start at 9AM ET on May 17 and end at either 9PM ET (half) or at 9AM ET on May 18 (full). Half Marathon participants can also choose to start at 9PM ET on May 17 and take the overnight shift until 9AM ET. The organizers post optional prompts on the hour, and participants can post their poems immediately, or, if having all-day online access isn’t feasible, the poems can be written on the hour but posted to the community later.
The event will be hosted in a private, member-only space on Circle, a community platform that allows participants to read and respond to one another’s works.
Participants are asked to apply by May 12.
