The Woodberry Poetry Room invites you to an evening with literary icon and lifelong activist Nikki Giovanni. This two-part program will include a pre-event screening of the 2024 Oscar-longlisted documentary, “Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project,” and a reading by Nikki Giovanni. Free and open to the public.

Tongo Eisen-Martin, award-winning author and current poet laureate of San Francisco, will provide an introduction in the form of an opening set of poems, dedicated to Nikki Giovanni. Sponsored by the Woodberry Poetry Room, with the generous support of the Harvard Art Museums. 


Location: The program will take place at Menschel Hall, Harvard Art Museums, 32 Quincy Street. Please enter via the Broadway Street doors. Additional visitor information is available on their website.

Time: The (optional) film will begin at 5:00pm and the poetry reading will start at 7:00pm. 
 

FILM-SCREENING (5:00pm): A pre-event screening of "Going to Mars: The Nikki Giovanni Project." Doors will open at 4:30pm. Admission to the screening will be accommodated between 4:30 and 6:00pm.

At 6:45pm, there will be a brief 15-minute break between the film and the poetry reading to allow additional audience members to enter. 
 

READING (7:00pm): A poetry reading by Nikki Giovanni, introduced by Tongo Eisen-Martin. For those who choose to attend the reading only, doors will open at 6:45pm. You are welcome to begin queuing for the reading at 6:30pm.
 

After the reading, Nikki Giovanni has generously agreed to a brief 10-minute meet and greet with the audience. While booksales are not available at our venue, we welcome you to bring books purchased elsewhere for signing.

Livestreaming is available via the WPR YouTube Channel at 7:00pm (Eastern Standard Time).
 

Photograph | Courtesy of SoundAffect.