A Guide to Brooklyn Poetry Events, Open Mics and Writing Groups

New York City has long been a home for poets, and Brooklyn continues to foster a thriving poetry scene today, attracting writers of all kinds alongside a dynamic landscape of creative communities. From competitive poetry slams and intimate readings to open mics and community meetups, our borough offers plenty of opportunities to take part in this fabulous art form.

In this guide, we’ve included some of the most popular gathering spots for poets, poetry fans and aspiring writers in and around Brooklyn.

BRIC

Fort Greene

Formerly known as Celebrate Brooklyn!, Brooklyn Information & Culture—or BRIC as it’s more commonly known—has been around since 1979 with the mission of fostering economic revitalization through the arts, providing opportunities for Brooklyn artists and providing free access to cultural programming.

Every month, they host Brooklyn Poetry Slam for free at BRIC House in Fort Greene. The competition consists of two rounds in which poets have three minutes to read their original work. Five random judges from the audience score each round and the poet with the highest cumulative score wins.

BRIC
647 Fulton Street
Brooklyn, NY 11217

Open Book

Williamsburg

Hosted by @becka.dots, Open Book is a literary open mic every third Thursday of the month at Crystal Lake. They offer a safe space to connect with fellow creators and five minutes of open mic per person.

Crystal Lake
647 Grand Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211

Brooklyn Poets

Brooklyn Heights (and virtually)

This poetry nonprofit creates inclusive, creative spaces through workshops, classes, events and other programs in person and online. Their event calendar is jam-packed with virtual and in-person writing groups, poet reading series and the monthly Brooklyn Poets Yawp workshop and open mic on the second Friday of each month. They also offer a mentorship program, craft labs, free community groups and so much more.

Brooklyn Poets
144 Montague Street
Brooklyn, NY 11201

Hive Mind Books

Bushwick

Hive Minds Books is a queer bookstore and coffee shop that hosts a variety of queer and trans community author events including poetry readings, writing nights and book clubs. Check out the events calendar to stay in the loop.

Hive Mind Books
219 Irving Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11237

The Urbane Arts Club

Prospect Park South/Ditmas Park

A one-of-a-kind spot within a 1920s speakeasy, The Urbane is a hub for culture and creativity including poetry readings, literary launches, music showcases and theatre.

Keep up with their events calendar to see what’s going on.

The Urbane Arts Club
1016 Beverley Road
Brooklyn, NY 11218

Brooklyn Public Library

Brooklyn Heights, Park Slope, Flatbush and others

Always check your local Brooklyn Public Library branch for events because throughout the year they offer an eclectic mix of poetry and creative writing workshops, digital zine classes, craft making and community building.

Browse the library event calendar to see what’s happening in your neighborhood.

Pete’s Candy Store

Williamsburg

There’s always something cool going on at Pete’s Candy Store, whether you’re into writing, music, comedy or trivia. Dead Pete’s Society is their monthly poetry open mic on first Fridays and they also host a Silent Writing Happy Hour consisting of weekly short readings, inspiring 30-minute exercises, sharing opportunities and time set aside to work on self-directed projects.

Pete’s Candy Store
709 Lorimer Street
Brooklyn, NY 11211

The Word Is Change

Bed-Stuy

Come to The Word Is Change to pick up a new or used book and stay for the readings, talks, launch parties and other events.

The World Is Change
368 Tompkins Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11216

poetry me, please

Various locations

A spoken word poetry community, poetry me, please provides a stage for poets from across the globe to share their work in various locations throughout NYC. They welcome spoken word performers of all types, regardless of experience level.

Unruly Collective Open Mic

Bushwick

Unruly Collective puts on inviting, inspiring events that promote growth and collaboration across all artistic fields. Their monthly open mic costs $5 for 7-minute sets.

Check their Instagram for upcoming events.

Unruly Collective
200 Cooper Street
Brooklyn, NY 11207

BRCOpen Mics

Bushwick and various locations

These monthly open mic poetry and readings take place at locations throughout both NYC and Philly, including Bushwick and the Lower East Side. Hosted by poet Brandon Cohen-Long, the BRCOpen Mic events offer a way to support local poets through readings and encourage musicians, poets and writers to share their work.

Parlé Endeavors

Canarsie

Parlé Endeavors is a nonprofit supporting youth and emerging adults in historically underserved neighborhoods through creative expression, mentorship and civic engagement. They offer a variety of programs, scholarships and host empowerment events including Teen Poetry Slam.

Lofty Pigeon Books

Kensington

In Kensington, indie bookshop Lofty Pigeon hosts an open mic the last Thursday of every other month in which artists can share poems, music, jokes and scripts.

Lofty Pigeon Books
743 Church Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11218

Beyond Brooklyn

The poetry, spoken word and open mic events don’t stop in Brooklyn. Throughout the city you can find even more, including these Manhattan spots just over the river.

Nuyorican Poets Café — Lower East Side

Bowery Poetry — East Village

Poetry Book Club at Book Club Bar — East Village

Monday Night Open Mic at Bakers Falls — East Village

Monday Night Poetry Series at KGB Bar — East Village

Poets House NYC — Battery Park

And, lastly, but perhaps one of the most helpful resources, Emdash is the ultimate NYC poetry calendar featuring events from across the city.

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Whether you’re looking to share your work on stage, meet up with fellow poets or just listen in, Brooklyn’s poetry community offers something for all levels of interest. And with so many events, it’s easy to find a space that feels welcoming and inspiring in or near your neighborhood.

To learn more about New York’s poets of the past, check out our posts on 5 Classic Poems About Brooklyn and 9 Poems About NYC.