What is Poetry Con?

The Detroit Youth Poetry Con is an immersive day of writing, performance, community building and exposure to artists and creative pathways for teens. The Detroit Youth Poetry Con takes place at Wayne State University, concluding with a public performance showcase featuring poet and educator Brittany Rogers, Ajanaé Dawkins, and special performances by InsideOut youth. 

The Detroit Youth Poetry Con will take place on Saturday, March 15th, 2025 and is FREE and open to attend for all teens. Registration opens February 2025.

Featured Visiting Writers

InsideOut student poet performs at the public showcase in 2023. She has long braids and holds a poem on paper at a microphone against a dark background.
Brittany Rogers headshot

Brittany Rogers

Brittany Rogers is poet, visual artist, educator, and life-long Detroiter. She has work published or forthcoming in The Hopkins Review, Scalawag, The Poet Lore, Indiana Review, Four Way Review, Underbelly, Mississippi Review, Lambda Literary, and Oprah Daily. Brittany is a fellow of  VONA, The Watering Hole, Poetry Incubator, and Pink Door Writing Retreat. Brittany is Editor-in-Chief of Muzzle Magazine and co-host of VS Podcast. She is the author of the poetry collection Good Dress (Tin House, 2024).

Ajanaé Dawkins

Ajanaé Dawkins is an interdisciplinary poet, performance artist, and theologian. Through poetry, she archives her matrilineage to explore the politics of faith, grief, and intimacy between Black women. Through essays, she blends literary criticism, memoir, and theology as autotheory to explore the relationship between Black poetics and Black theologies. Her work is published or forthcoming in the Academy of American Poets, The Rumpus, Prairie Schooner, the Indiana Review and more. Her chapbook, BLOOD-FLEX, is the winner of the New Delta Review’s 2024 chapbook prize. Ajanaé is a co-host of the VS Podcast and Urban Art’s Space’s 2024 Community Artist-in-Residence.

Mic Phelps leads a workshops with youth poets. They laugh and react as he teaches. The table is filled with papers, pens, and waterbottles.

Conference Schedule

  • 9:30am – Conference Welcome (Wayne State Student Center)
  • 11am – Workshop Session #1
  • 12pm – Lunch
  • 2pm – Workshop Session #2
  • 3pm – Special Workshop (led by Ross Gay and Nandi Comer)
  • 4:30 – Dinner
  • 7pm – Performance Showcase

Frequently Asked Questions

Are meals provided at The Detroit Youth Poetry Con?

Yes, InsideOut provides participants with breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks.

Can I/my group attend for just part of the day?

Yes, contact Justin Rogers to make special arrangements for you or your group.

For more information contact Citywide Poets Coordinator Justin Rogers by email or call 313-470-0939.