- Our History
- Officers and Contact Information
- Chapter Locations & Chapter Contact Information
- FSPA Chancellors
- Membership Application
- Bylaws
- FSPA Meeting Minutes
Who We Are
Florida State Poets Association (FSPA) has three main objectives: to secure a fuller public recognition of the art of poetry, to stimulate a finer and more intelligent appreciation of poetry, and to provide opportunities to study and practice writing and reading poetry.
We have an ever-expanding network of FSPA chapters, and each chapter with its current president are listed on this website at Chapter Locations & Chapter Contact Information. Chapters elect their own officers, set and collect their own dues, and conduct their own meetings and activities. Some chapters are loosely organized while some are highly structured. Individual poets who join FSPA and pay annual dues can join whatever chapter they choose or may decide to become Members-at-Large, with no specific chapter affiliation.
For FSPA chapter certification there must be a minimum of five poets who elect a chapter president. Certification is renewed each year and may be withdrawn if members do not meet all requirements. All members of a chapter must be members of FSPA for the chapter to retain its certification.
What We Do
FSPA holds two annual events each year. Spring Fling, held in April, is a membership meeting that includes a business meeting, board meeting, workshops, and open readings. Spring Fling is hosted by a different Florida chapter or Members-at-Large. The Annual Fall Convention is held in October each year, and hosted by different chapters, typically in the Central region. The Convention includes a board meeting, general business meeting, presentations from acclaimed poets, workshops, competitions, and presentation of awards in annual FSPA poetry competitions.
We sponsor two main competitions with cash prizes. FSPA sponsors a multi-category adult Poetry Contest open to all poets, and a Youth Contest that invites all students from Florida School districts. Winning poems from the youth category are sent to the annual National Federation of State Poetry Societies (NFSPS) Manningham Poetry Trust Awards competition. The Youth Contest is made possible by a generous grant from the late Lee Bennett Hopkins.
FSPA publications consist of an annual printed anthology and a bi-monthly newsletter, Of Poets and Poetry, which is published in print and online. This is the organization’s official newsletter that publishes chapter reports, highlights of meetings, feature stories, and other relevant information. The annual anthology, Cadence, solicits poems from members in the spring. Of the poems submitted, one is selected from each member to be published in the book. This anthology is distributed at the annual Convention in October. FSPA also has a Facebook page and Twitter account.