Folger Shakespeare Library Announces 2025-26 O.B. Hardison Poetry Series

Highlights include a double birthday celebration of Emily Dickinson and Jane Austen, a poetry and music collaboration with Folger Consort, and the Anthony Hecht Poetry Prize with judge Shane McCrae

(Washington, DC) — Today, the Folger Shakespeare Library announced the 57th season of one of the nation’s oldest and most-renowned poetry reading programs. The O.B. Hardison Poetry Series welcomes established and emerging writers for a season of literary events, available for both local, in-person audiences and national audiences online, from the Folger’s intimate Elizabethan-style theater on Capitol Hill.

This season, Folger Poetry engages in a cross-century poetic conversation with Folger Consort, explores the literary legacies of Emily Dickinson and Jane Austen, and celebrates the new Anthony Hecht Poetry Prize winner with judge and National Book Award finalist Shane McCrae. The season also includes a celebration of the next generation of local poets, including DC-based Alexa Patrick, in October, and the annual free tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. featuring inspiring speeches and poems read by local actors.

“We are so lucky to live in a city like DC with an abundance of artistic and literary culture,” said Karen Ann Daniels, Director of Artistic Programs. “It’s important for the Folger to actively reflect the variety of creative impulses across generations, histories, and communities in this season. From a wonderful collaboration between Rose Solari and the Folger Consort to celebrating Dickinson and Austen’s birthdays together to elevating voices of our youth, the O.B. Hardison Poetry Series invites audiences to explore language and purpose while amplifying the voices and talents of many DC-based poets and scholars.”

A season subscription for the full O.B. Hardison Poetry Series is now on sale for $112—a 25% savings off individual ticket prices. Subscriptions may be purchased at folger.edu/poetry or by calling the Folger Box Office at (202) 544-7077. Additional ticket options will go on sale August 5, 2025, including flex passes for in-person events, starting at $45; single tickets for in-person readings; and streaming options ($10 per performance or flex passes starting at $30).

SCHEDULE OF READINGS

Tomorrow’s Verses: The O.B. Hardison Reading

October 21, 2025, at 7:30pm

Join Folger Poetry in honoring the legacy of former Folger Shakespeare Library Director O.B. Hardison, Jr. in an evening of dynamic readings by the next generation of local poets. DC-based singer, author, educator, and youth worker Alexa Patrick (Remedies for Disappearing) will be joined by local youth poets to read works that honor the past, energize the present, and envision the future. The reading will be followed by a book signing in the Great Hall.

Virtuosos of Violin and Verse

November 7-9, 2025

In a special collaboration with Folger Consort, Italian American author, actor, and poet Rose Solari (Orpheus in the Park, The Last Girl) will read from new poetry written in response to Italian composer Barbara Strozzi’s life and career (1619-1677). Musical highlights will include Strozzi’s compositions, other Italian violin music of the 17th and 18th centuries, and the lyrical verse of 16th-century poet Torquato Tasso.

The Emily Dickinson and Jane Austen Birthday Tribute

December 9, 2025, at 7:30pm

This year, our annual birthday tribute to American poet Emily Dickinson will also honor English novelist Jane Austen on her 250th birthday. Noted scholars Martha Nell Smith and Patricia A. Matthew will discuss the life, work, and legacy of Dickinson and Austen and how they continue to shape writers of today, highlighting well-known passages. The reading, which is co-sponsored by the Emily Dickinson Museum, will be followed by a book signing in the Great Hall. Emily Dickinson’s famous black cake, based on her own recipe, will also be served.

Not Just Another Day Off

January 17, 2026, at 11:30am, in-person
Streamed via YouTube January 18-20

Each year, the Folger celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s birthday with inspiring poetry readings and rousing historical speeches delivered by contemporary poets and actors.

The 2026 Anthony Hecht Poetry Prize Reading

April 7, 2026, at 7:30pm

The Anthony Hecht Poetry Prize, created in honor of the Pulitzer Prize-winning poet Anthony Hecht, is awarded annually for a poetry collection by a writer who has published no more than one book of poetry. This April, we celebrate the 20th winner, Anna Lena Phillips Bell, for her manuscript Might Could, as selected by judge Shane McCrae (Pulling the Chariot of the Sun, In the Language of My Captor), who will also read. The reading will be followed by a book signing in the Great Hall.

The O.B. Hardison Poetry Series Finale Reading

May 19, 2026, at 7:30pm

The Poetry season concludes with a finale reading by a poet chosen by a group of Folger Poetry supporters. The evening’s honored guest will read from the work of other poets cited as their literary influences as well as from their own work. Previous poets invited for this finale reading include Ellen Bass, Billy Collins, Carolyn Forché, and Jane Hirshfield. The reading will be followed by a book signing in the Great Hall.

About Folger Shakespeare Library

The Folger Shakespeare Library makes Shakespeare’s stories and the world in which he lived accessible. Anchored by the world’s largest Shakespeare collection, the Folger is a cultural organization where curiosity and creativity are embraced, and conversation is always encouraged. Visitors to the Folger can choose how they want to experience the arts and humanities, from interactive exhibitions to captivating performances, and from path-breaking research to transformative educational programming. The Folger welcomes everyone to connect in their own way—from communities throughout Washington, DC, to communities across the globe. Learn more at www.folger.edu.

About The O.B. Hardison Poetry Series

The O.B. Hardison Poetry Series, one of the nation’s most established poetry reading programs, is noted for featuring an extensive range of outstanding poets. The series was founded in 1970 when the late O.B. Hardison, Jr., a renowned teacher, scholar, and poet, became director of the Folger Shakespeare Library and established many outreach programs to make the resources of the extraordinary research library available to the Washington community. Teri Cross Davis is the Folger Poetry Manager. For more on the O.B. Hardison Poetry Series, please visit www.folger.edu/about-us/what-we-do/about-the-o-b-hardison-poetry-series/.