The International Poetry Forum was founded in 1966 by Samuel Hazo as an adjunct of The Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, and in 1980 the Forum became an independent, 501 (c)(3) non-profit cultural organization. The Forum’s vision is focused on the oral presentation of poetry and the enhancement of life through poetry.

Today, the International Poetry Forum attracts a larger audience than ever before and continues its commitment to introduce the world’s most significant contemporary poetry to Pittsburgh and the surrounding regions. Poetry is performed and celebrated by internationally recognized poets, actors and musicians through the Forum’s acclaimed Poets-in-Public series. The spoken word is also introduced to new audiences through the Poets-in-Person educational workshops in elementary, junior and senior high schools.

Over the past three decades, the Forum has developed an international reputation. Nobel Prize awardees, Pulitzer Prize winners, National Book Awardees, and Academy Award winners are among the many artists who have appeared under the auspices of the International Poetry Forum.

The International Poetry Forum has received the prestigious Smithson Award from the Smithsonian Institution as well as citations from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the County of Allegheny and the City of Pittsburgh.