As a literary nonprofit organization, The Word Works publishes books of poetry and presents two poetry reading series.

Our Mission

Since 1974, The Word Works has been a nonprofit literary and educational organization dedicated to the support and perpetuation of contemporary poetry and literature for the cultural enrichment of humankind. It is a volunteer organization operating without discrimination regarding gender, race, color, religion, age, national origin, disability, sexual orientation, or any classification protected by State or Federal discrimination laws. The Word Works carries out its mission through book and online publication, competitions, special projects, and public programs. Developing audience for poetry is a critical goal in its effort to promote and support outstanding literary work.

Publications

From the beginning, The Word Works has created graphically beautiful books, and has grown to include five divisions of publication: The Washington Prize, the Hilary Tham Capital Collection, International Editions, The Tenth Gate Prize, and books selected during our Reading Period. We have published over 130 titles, and currently we publish nine books per year.

Reading Series

The Word Works also hosts two reading series in the D. C. area: the summer programs of the Joaquin Miller Poetry Series and Café Muse, a literary salon that runs monthly.

Other Projects

Workshops, grant-funded special projects, anthologies, and even extended writing retreats have also carried out our mission on occasion. Book donations to prisons, schools, and other organizations occur on a regular basis.