COLUMBUS, Ohio — More than 40 vendors and over 15 live performers took part Saturday in Columbus’ first Black Poets Festival, an event organizers hope will grow into an annual gathering for Black poets across the Midwest. The festival also included a panel discussion and a writing workshop. Founder and director Jayaira Grhim-Harvey said organizers expected more than 250 people to attend the inaugural event. Grhim-Harvey said the idea grew from a desire to connect poets with poetry organizations and platforms throughout the region. She also described poetry as a way for people to process pain while speaking openly about social justice and issues affecting their communities. “Having a hub for Black poets to be able to come to” is especially important, Grhim-Harvey said, adding that the festival is planned as an annual event. Performers were not required to follow a single theme. Instead, organizers gave them latitude to write and perform about the subjects most important to them. Grhim-Harvey said she hoped attendees would leave with an appreciation for Black poets and a sense of shared community. Bringing people together in Columbus in this way, she said, is unusual. The festival’s youth program, Young Black Voices, is scheduled for Sunday from noon to 4 p.m. The free event is open to people ages 13 to 17 and will include a writing workshop, youth performances, a vendor marketplace and a performance lab led by professional poets.