a community
challenge to read
one book of poetry a day
for the month of August
↓
join the challenge
Plan your reading list. For suggestions, start here.
Dive into reading one book a day.
Take a "shelfie"! Share your experience with us on social media.
Download the 2026 Challenge bingo card + play for book giveaways (link forthcoming)
Download the Challenge certificate! Request a golden seal (a sealie!) in recognition of your accomplishment (link forthcoming)
Remember, the point of the Sealey Challenge is to read more poetry! If you’d like to modify the challenge, here are some variations:
read a poem a day
spend 31 minutes reading poetry each day
read chapbooks instead of full-length books
cut the challenge in half: read 15 books in August instead of 31
get a "BINGO" on the Sealey Challenge Bingo card
read poems with your children each day
if August isn’t your month, you could have yourself a #SealeySeptember (or any other time of year, too!)
“As August approaches, I recognize the excitement vibrating in my body and grasp just how much I need The Sealey Challenge in my life.”
— Connie Pan, Bookriot“During the challenge, we read new and old books, we read books we’ve been putting off and reread books we love.”
— Nicole Sealey“Poetry is the only literary form that can accommodate such a rapid rate of reading; being able to jump seamlessly between voices like this can expand the way we think about the world.”
— Laura Buccieri, Lithub 
about the challenge
From chapbooks to full-length collections, participants in The Sealey Challenge spend time diving into poetry collections every August.
The goals are simple: read a book each day, engage with diverse voices, and be an active member of an online community of poetry lovers. Of course, the point of the Sealey Challenge isn't perfection—the point is to spend time with poetry!
Not sure where to start? Check out our “start here” reading list!
Since the 2023 #SealeyChallenge, Nicole Sealey has entrusted the University of Arizona’s Poetry Center with caring for this incredible month of reading poetry. The Poetry Center offers many resources for Sealey Challenge participants, including Voca, a robust digital archive of recorded poetry readings spanning more than 60 years; the podcast Poetry Centered; free teaching resources; and curated poetry playlists.
Stay in touch with #SealeyChallenge on Facebook, Twitter (X) and Instagram for inspiration and recommendations!