History
Austin Poets International (API) was founded in 1995 to oversee the Austin International Poetry Festival (AIPF), a celebration of poetry since 1992. The goals of API are to host poetry readings and publish an anthology of poetry that celebrates the diversity of humanity. The Festival itself (AIPF) has always had an international flavor, and has always been non-juried, meaning that any poets who register to attend, regardless of shame or fame, are entitled to read their poetry at scheduled events and mingle with poets from across the nation and around the world. The Festival has grown from a loose-knit group of volunteers to an organization with a governing board and committees. Poets who register to attend are entitled to read their poetry at scheduled events, attend workshops, and mingle with fellow poets.
From the onset, API has published an anthology of poems, di-vêrsé-city, on behalf of AIPF. Poems submitted to the anthology are screened for publications requirements, content and language; those accepted are submitted to the Festival's annual poetry competition, the Christina Sergeyevna contest.
A Youth program was added to the Festival in 2004 to encourage parents and teachers to gather poetry from creative students throughout Central Texas and around the world to submit their poems to an annual publication, Youth di-vêrsé-city Anthology. Other events in the Youth program include an anthology reading and workshops.
Popular events at AIPF are: outreach performances at retirement centers and schools; an Anthology Launch reading; performances by noteworthy musicians and world-class storytellers; workshops; panels of experts; and City Reads.
The dynamic components of AIPF are Fresh Voices (adult, non-juried readings) and New Faces (the Youth Program).
From the onset, API has published an anthology of poems, di-vêrsé-city, on behalf of AIPF. Poems submitted to the anthology are screened for publications requirements, content and language; those accepted are submitted to the Festival's annual poetry competition, the Christina Sergeyevna contest.
A Youth program was added to the Festival in 2004 to encourage parents and teachers to gather poetry from creative students throughout Central Texas and around the world to submit their poems to an annual publication, Youth di-vêrsé-city Anthology. Other events in the Youth program include an anthology reading and workshops.
Popular events at AIPF are: outreach performances at retirement centers and schools; an Anthology Launch reading; performances by noteworthy musicians and world-class storytellers; workshops; panels of experts; and City Reads.
The dynamic components of AIPF are Fresh Voices (adult, non-juried readings) and New Faces (the Youth Program).