A Poetry Reading with Rio Cortez, Z. Yasmin Waheed & Romeo Oriogun

Immerse yourself in an evening of powerful verse along the waterfront as three acclaimed poets share their work under the stars. A Poetry Reading with Rio Cortez, Z. Yasmin Waheed, and Romeo Oriogun takes place on Friday, April 4, at The Cleat Mia in Key Biscayne's No Name Harbor, as part of the month-long O, Miami Poetry Festival running throughout April.

This intimate gathering brings together three distinctive literary voices in a serene harbor setting. Attendees will experience readings that span diverse themes and perspectives, delivered by poets whose work has received significant recognition across the literary world.

Rio Cortez, a New York Times bestselling author, will present selections from her critically acclaimed work. Her debut poetry collection, Golden Ax, was longlisted for both the 2022 National Book Award for Poetry and the Pen America Open Book Award. Cortez is also known for her celebrated picture books including The ABCs of Black History, The River Is My Ocean and The ABCs of Women's History.

Z. Yasmin Waheed, the current Poetry Coalition Fellow (2024-2025), brings her perspective as a writer, translator and artist born in Istanbul and raised in Miami. A summa cum laude graduate in English Literature from Florida International University, Waheed's experience spans book publishing, broadcast television and academic writing instruction. Her participation in O, Miami's 2024 Greenhouse apprenticeship reflects her commitment to nurturing South Florida's unique literary landscape.

Romeo Oriogun rounds out the trio with his internationally recognized work. The author of Sacrament of Bodies, Nomad and The Gathering of Bastards, Oriogun has been a finalist for numerous prestigious awards including the 2021 Lambda Literary Award for Gay Poetry, 2025 Kingsley Tufts Poetry Award and the 2023 National Book Critics Circle Award for Poetry. His achievements include winning the 2022 Alice Fay Di Castagnola Prize, the 2022 Nigeria Prize for Literature, the 2023 Julie Suk Award and the 2023 Nebraska Book Award for Poetry. Currently serving as an Assistant Professor of English at Florida Atlantic University, his work has appeared in publications such as the New Yorker, Poetry and American Poetry Review.