The 2026 DC Poet Project Culminating Reading

Join DC Poet Project finalists MariTi Lovell, Angelo "CanMan tha Poet" Brooks, Kiara Penn, and Delante Allen at the culminating reading event, 2:00-3:30pm, Sunday, May 3, 2026 at the Anacostia Public Library.

The finalist poets will each perform and then the audience will live vote to select the 2026 DC Poet Project winner. The prize for the winner is a book contract with Day Eight. Recent books published through the competition include 2025 winner Malachi Byrd’s Before We Gone and 2024 winner Amuchechukwu Nwafor’s .

This is a free event and space is limited, advance registration is recommended.

About the 2026 DC Poet Project Finalists

MariTi Lovell is a natural-born scribe from Harlem, New York, who has lived in the District since 2019. She enjoys playing video games, listening to music, and spewing random esoteric knowledge. She has experience working in a variety of industries and hopes to explore quieter parts of the world.

Angelo "Can Man tha Poet" Brooks is a writer, host, and curator from Washington, DC. He was a 2024 DC Poet Project finalist and a 2024 Luce Prize finalist. His poetry has been published in the Mid-Atlantic Review and he has performed throughout the DMV, including featuring at Anacostia Library, Cloud Lounge, Honfleur Gallery, Pen Pads & Poets, Sharp-Penn Poetry and Prima Lounge. He is a host and curator of the open mic series, Melting Pen Poetry.

Kiara Penn is a born and raised DC native who performs using the stage name Kookie. She began performing spoken word in 2023 and is known for her wit and relatability – in her poetry and her personal interactions with others. Kiara has poured into her craft over the past year, curating and hosting her own open mic, “Sharp Penn Poetry and Artistry.”

Delante Allen is an emerging poet from Washington, D.C. He grew up across the DC area – from Suitland Road to Eastover and the Anacostia area. He was first sentenced to J*il while in high school and started writing around the same time. He spent the early portion of his adult life incarcerated. Now back in Washington, D.C. he has performed his poetry at Covenant House and Busboys and Poets.

About the 2026 DC Poet Project

The featured poets in the 2026 DC Poet Project reading series, who served as judges selecting the finalists, were Kristin Kowalski-Ferragut, Amuchechukwu Nwafor, Teri Cross Davis, Susan Scheid, Brandon Douglas, Micki Topham, Anne Becker, Malachi Byrd, Susan Mockler, Ishanee Chanda, Jenn Koiter, and Nico Penaranda. The 2026 DC Poet Project was made possible by support from the DC Commission on the Arts and Humanities and other funders of Day Eight, partnership with the Anacostia Coordinating Council, and individual donors to Day Eight. To read more about the 2026 DC Poet Project reading series, view the blog post on the Day Eight website here.

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