The Poetry Summit: Laureates & Legends

Join us from the 12th-15th of June 2025 for a poetic gathering that promises to be both cheeky and profound. This year’s theme takes inspiration from the United Nations with the first-ever global Poetry Summit, co-curated by Poetry International and Dutch Poet Laureate Babs Gons. We bring you a line-up featuring only the most esteemed voices, recognized with the highest (inter)national honors.

As representatives of their countries, they will engage in readings, discussions, workshops, interviews, debates, and performances that will showcase the rich tapestry of poetic cultures. Together with you, they will explore poetry's role in shaping both nations and the world. Be a part of this historic occasion where the world’s leading voices unite for one time only to celebrate the 55th Anniversary of Poetry International Festival.

In a groundbreaking moment, the festival will witness the adoption of the Declaration of Future Poetry Generations, a visionary document about the vital importance of poetry, aimed at securing the future of poetry for generations to come.

Let’s make poetry the universal language this June in Rotterdam! See you there.