Welcome To The
Ohio Poetry
Association

Sustaining poetry in Ohio and beyond since 1929!

Who We Are 

The Ohio Poetry Association (OPA), chartered originally as the Verse Writers’ Guild of Ohio, is a nonprofit, educational organization. We exist to promote the art of poetry and further the support of poets and others who appreciate poetry. Since it was first organized as a local chapter in Columbus in 1929, OPA has become statewide in scope, and highly professional in character. Our members have won thousands of awards, and have been widely published in every conceivable forum and format. Several members have been Ohio Poet of the Year. We are eager to help others reach higher levels of craft and success, and share their craft with those who share their love of poetry.

OPA represents nearly three hundred members in Ohio, the nation, and beyond. Membership confers automatic affiliation with the National Federation of State Poetry Societies (NFSPS). Benefits include a subscription to the NFSPS quarterly newsletter Strophes along with our own state-level newsletter, entry into national literary contests at a reduced fee, two annual issues of the members-only literary journal Common Threads, and NFSPS and Ohio Poetry day contest announcements. Student contest winners are entitled to these benefits, as well.

What We Do

OPA holds four meetings each year - in September, November, March and May, usually on the second Saturday of the month at 1:00 p.m. We generally alternate meeting sites between chapter cities, but anyone may host a meeting. We conduct necessary business and present informative and entertaining programs of interest to members. We often conduct workshops, as well.

• In addition to regular meetings, we hold a special summer “picnic” meeting outside the Columbus area during July or August.
  
  

• In October, OPA hosts a Friday night invitational reading for Ohio Poetry Day, to which we have especially strong connections: an association member founded Ohio Poetry Day. In addition to corporate sponsorship of two poetry day contests, OPA also provides many Poetry Day board officers.
  
  

• OPA and its chapters sponsor some of the 50 NFSPS annual spring competition contests. OPA members also serve as judges at all levels of competition.
  

• We work extensively in Ohio schools, helping students to understand, enjoy and create poetry. OPA and its chapters sponsor and underwrite student poetry contests, including a spring high school competition that has been offered since 1976.

Anyone interested in supporting our goals is welcome to join OPA. If you are a poet, we invite you to submit three poems for possible inclusion in Common Threads, along with your annual membership dues. A membership application is available by clicking on the How To Join button above.

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