Poesía en Abril is an international festival of Spanish-language poetry presented annually by DePaul University in collaboration with the Instituto Cervantes of Chicago and local cultural associations. Recognized as the most prominent Spanish literary program in the Midwest, the festival brings together poets from across the United States, Latin America, and Spain.
The inaugural festival took place in 2008, and since then additional organizations have joined to enhance and expand the festival's programming. Poetry in April has featured collaborations with the Poetry Foundation, Chicago Park District, Northeastern Illinois University, University of Illinois at Chicago, Chicago Latino Film Festival, The Guild Complex, Saint Augustine College, Comfort Station, The Jazz Showcase, Open Books, La Catrina Cafe, National Museum of Puerto Rican Arts & Culture, Segundo Ruiz Belvis Cultural Center, La Décima Musa, and Casa de Arte y Cultura Calles y Sueños, among others.
The festival offers a series of readings, performances, workshops, and contests in a variety of venues around the city of Chicago. The breadth of offerings and the quality of the poetry has made this experience a favorite among participating poets and audiences alike.