SWWIM: Rita Mookerjee & Madison Whatley

SWWIM Reading Series at The Betsy Writer's Room presents eight celebrated women poets in residence, September 2025-April 2026. Each visiting poet pairs with Miami's vibrant literary voices for intimate readings, fostering cross-generational dialogue and celebrating contemporary women's poetry.

This series offers audiences rare access to emerging and established poets in an intimate setting, fostering meaningful connections between writers, readers, and Miami's thriving arts community. Presented with support from the Jorge M. Perez Family Foundation CreARTE.

ABOUT THE POETS

Rita Mookerjee is an Assistant Professor of Interdisciplinary Studies at Worcester State University. She holds a PhD in Literature from Florida State University. Her research has been funded by the Fulbright Foundation and the National Endowment for the Humanities. She is the winner of the 2023 Steel Toe Books Poetry Award and the author of False Offering (JackLeg Press). A co-founder of Honey Literary, she serves as the Poetry Editor of Split Lip Magazine and the Vice President of the Board of Directors at Sundress Publications. Her poems can be found in CALYX, Copper Nickel, Passages North, Poet Lore, and The Offing.

Madison Whatley is a South Florida poet and 2023 graduate of Florida International University's MFA program, where she was the Managing Editor at Gulf Stream Magazine. Her poetry has appeared in Saw Palm, SWWIM Every Day, andVariant Lit. Her poetry manuscript Hotline Bimbo was selected as a Semifinalist for the 2023 Berkshire Prize by Tupelo Press. Find her work on madisonwhatley.com.

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