In 1964, Dr. Samuel Hazo invited W.H. Auden to offer a poetry reading in Pittsburgh, PA. In his introductory speech, Hazo envisioned a reading series that would bring the world’s best poets to Pittsburgh—particularly poets who emphasized poetry as a spoken art form. Present in the audience was Theodore L. Hazlett Jr., then head of the A.W. Mellon Educational and Charitable Trust. After Auden’s reading, Hazlett approached Hazo to make his vision a reality.

In 1966, the International Poetry Forum launched under the initial sponsorship of Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh and the Mellon Trust. The inaugural reading featured Archibald MacLeish at the Carnegie Lecture Hall on Oct. 19, 1966. The nonprofit organization soon grew to become one of the most celebrated independent poetry programs in the world, hosting over 800 poets, actors, musicians, and artists from more that 50 countries to offer poetry readings and educational programs in Pittsburgh. Alumni of the International Poetry Forum include nine Nobel Laureates, 14 Academy Award recipients, 28 U.S. Poets Laureate, 39 National Book Award winners, and 47 Pulitzer Prize winners.

Historic venues for the IPF have included Carnegie Music Hall, Carnegie Lecture Hall, and various venues in Pittsburgh’s Cultural District. For a decade, the IPF also hosted a series of events at Wolf Trap National Park and the Smithsonian Institution as a member of the Smithsonian Resident Associate Program in Washington, D.C. The Forum was awarded the 1990 James Smithson Bicentennial Medal by the Smithsonian for its contributions to the arts, making it the only literary organization in the country to ever receive that honor.

After 43 years of leadership, Samuel Hazo retired from the International Poetry Forum, placing the nonprofit on indefinite hiatus in 2009. In 2023, Hazo announced the revival of the IPF, naming new leadership and outlining plans for a relaunch of programming in 2024. Today, the 501(c)(3) organization maintains three focuses: the flagship reading series, which hosts six to eight readings per year; an educational outreach program, which offers lectures and workshops for local high school students; and online resources for the study of poetry, including a short-form podcast project celebrating Pittsburgh’s literary history.

Audio recordings of past performers—including legends such as Seamus Heaney, Gwendolyn Brooks, Octavio Paz, Elizabeth Bishop, Jorge Luis Borges, Mary Oliver, Kurt Vonnegut, Chinua Achebe, Grace Kelly, Gregory Peck, James Earl Jones, Ruby Dee, Anthony Hopkins, James Earl Jones, and Queen Noor of Jordan—are archived through the digital collections of Carlow University.