Read the press release here. Read coverage in the Bookseller here. * HRH Prince of Wales shares favourite Wordsworth lines New Margaret Atwood poem launches nationwide competition Benjamin Zephaniah says: ‘Poetry saved my life’ English Heritage turns to poetry to tell the Untold Stories of its 400 sites BBC Local Radio stations invite nation to…
Inspired by the popularity of poetry as a release and a relief during lockdown, National Poetry Day invites everyone to celebrate on Thursday 1 October by sharing a poem with friends, family and neighbours, online and in the places they live and work. See coverage in The Bookseller here.
Our list of recommended reads for National Poetry Day is its biggest ever this year: 40 gorgeous new poetry books for all ages and stages to read, listen to and share. More than 20 publishers feature in the selection, which celebrates the diversity of poetry publishing with gorgeously illustrated new anthologies for children and adults,…
The winners of the 2019 Forward Prizes for Poetry have been announced. Read the press release here. You can also read the announcement in the Guardian and the Bookseller.
An elephant evacuee, the meaning of “croggy” and “siles”, and the secret missions of baby eels: an England-wide call-out to BBC Local Radio listeners for significant stories, observations and truths that illuminate the places we call home has inspired 13 new poems for the 25th anniversary of National Poetry Day on October 3rd. Find out…
Literature Wales is proud to announce that Her 100 Cerdd will return this October for the seventh year in a row. Four poets have been challenged to compose a total of 100 original poems in just 24 hours as part of the National Poetry Day celebrations. For more information, read the press release here and…
As part of the celebrations for National Poetry Day 2019 on 3 October, the Forward Arts Foundation, supported by Gardners and Browns Books for Students, has put together four reading lists of poetry to read and share on National Poetry Day and every day. Find out more about the four lists and the 35 recommended…
The #MyNPDPoem poetry writing challenge is now open, having been launched by Forward Arts Foundation at the CLiPPA ceremony. In association with CLPE and with the support of ALCS, #MyNPDPoem encourages schools everywhere to create poems, performances, displays and even special poetry books as part of the 25th anniversary celebrations for National Poetry Day. Find out more here and…
According to the government’s Taking Part survey, 3.8% of the population write poetry – that’s two million people. Are you one of them? For the 25th anniversary of National Poetry Day on 3rd October, Bespoke Verse is running a competition celebrating the UK’s hidden poets, those writing poetry just for themselves, or who may have created just…
National Poetry Day and BBC Local Radio have joined forces to challenge stereotypes and celebrate the delights of the different regions that together compose the United Kingdom. From today, Monday 10th June, inspired by National Poetry Day’s 2019 theme of Truth, BBC Local Radio stations from Derby to Devon, Lancashire to London, plus BBC Radio…
National Poetry Day marks its 25th anniversary this year with a mass participation campaign highlighting poetry’s power to forge community – whether intimate or on the grand scale – by celebrating words that touch on truth. The campaign – which culminates on Thursday October 3rd with thousands of poetry events across the UK – is…
As sales of poetry hit record levels in the UK, the London Book Fair is set to explore poetry as the medium of the moment, with a host of special seminar sessions, debates and discussions. For the second year running there will be a Poet of the Fair. In 2019 this honour is going to…
Gardners and Browns Books for Students back National Poetry Day Forward Arts Foundation is delighted to announce new sponsorship deals with UK book trade wholesaler Gardners and leading education supplier Browns Books for Students. Gardners and its sister company Browns Books for Students are now official partners for National Poetry Day in 2019, its 25th…
National Poetry Day and Michael O’Mara Books announce poetry call-out for a 25th anniversary collection In a new partnership, Michael O’Mara Books and The Forward Arts Foundation are to publish a collection of poetry to celebrate National Poetry Day’s 25th anniversary in October 2019. Curated and introduced by poetry lover and BBC presenter Cerys Matthews,…
New research finds that children from disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to engage in poetry A new National Literacy Trust report, A Thing That Makes Me Happy: Young People and Poetry 2018, published today, 4th October 2018, reveals that almost half of the 2,948 young people surveyed (46% or 1,537) said they turn to poetry…
POETS CELEBRATE THE CHANGES THAT REALLY MATTER ON NATIONAL POETRY DAY A secret love affair in Cornwall, a tree slung with trainers in Brighton, and the disappearance of the Geordie word “muckle”: a nationwide call-out for stories of the changes that really matter to BBC Local Radio listeners has inspired 12 new poems for National…
Monday 17th September 2018: National Poetry Day, the world’s biggest 24-hour celebration of poetry, will see poems shared in the tunnels of Cornish tin mines, in the mirrors of Scottish gyms, on Welsh trains and the concourse of St Pancras station, on Newcastle’s metro system and Bradford’s big screens as the people of the United…
Today National Poetry Day, Britain’s national campaign for poetry, announces its dedicated book trade promotion for a second year running, highlighting 36 inspiring poetry books in three wide ranging categories: new collections, poetry for book groups and children’s poetry. The campaign’s aim – to enable all to enjoy, discover and share poetry – is supported…
National Poetry Day and BBC Local Radio are joining forces to celebrate the small changes that really matter to people in 12 specially commissioned poems – one for each of the 12 BBC regions in England. From today, Monday 18th June, and taking their cue from National Poetry Day’s 2018 theme – Change – BBC…
The verdict from the first-ever Poetry Summit at London Book Fair ‘The poetry market is growing as audiences for poetry – and poets – are diversifying,’ said speakers at the first ever Poetry Summit at London Book Fair on Wednesday. 2017 marked the best sales on record for poetry books in both volume and value,…
Georgina Wilding, Nottingham’s Young Poet Laureate, to perform on the international stage in Granada, Spain. Nottingham will be marking the day with Nottingham’s Poet Laureate, Georgina Wilding, joining 60 other poets across Granada. A poet from Ljubljana City of Literature, Anja Golob, will also take part and the event will be attended by the Goodwill…
National Poetry Day in association with Frances Lincoln Children’s Books and Amnesty International UK ran a special competition this year asking children to write a poem inspired by the theme of Freedom, and in particular John Lennon’s song Imagine, which is now the basis for a beautiful picture book, illustrated by Jean Jullien and with…
Scarborough Art Gallery painting inspires ‘Jesus Christ Goes Clubbing’ To many it is a familiar scenario. Matthew Arnold Bracy Smith’s The Disrobing (Despoiling) of Christ (after El Greco) vividly captures the moment of Jesus’ trial by the Pharisees, just moments before he is stripped and tortured. As the title suggests, Smith’s style and composition of…
BRADFORD POETS GO ON LOCATION TO CELEBRATE NATIONAL POETRY DAY Poets from across the district came together on Bradford’s big screen today (THU) after going out on location to film their own verse in iconic places across the city to mark National Poetry Day. Nineteen poets young and old were filmed in City Park, City…
To mark National Poetry Day (28 September), VisitEngland has commissioned two contemporary poets, Remi Graves and Andrew McMillan, to create new ‘England poems’, celebrating London and Manchester respectively, with accompanying videos set in each city. With a rise in spoken word scenes across the country, VisitEngland partnered with National Poetry Day for the project, as…
National Poetry Day kicks off with the launch of a new BBC poetry and performance festival and report of a fresh boom in poetry book sales Dr John Cooper Clarke, Kate Tempest, Hollie McNish and Simon Armitage line up alongside a host of poets and spoken-word artists ready to enjoy, discover and share poetry 12…
The Rialto Nature and Place Poetry Competition 2018 launches today, 28 September, to coincide with National Poetry Day 2017. Run by leading poetry magazine The Rialto, in partnership with the RSPB, BirdLife International and the Cambridge Conservation Initiative, the competition is open to original submissions written in English by entrants aged 18 years and over…
Poetry is booming! Last year marked the best sales on record for poetry books in both volume and value, and demand continues to grow. Poetry is now challenging prose on the bestseller lists, boosted by the popularity of both live and recorded performances and strong followings on Instagram and Twitter. Today, National Poetry Day, Britain’s…
Cheeselog (a woodlouse), to geg in (to butt in) and fam (a familiar form of address for a friend) are among the distinctive local words that will be immortalised in 12 specially commissioned poems for this year’s National Poetry Day. These examples of regional dialect are among hundreds nominated by BBC Local Radio listeners as…
Contains Strong Language, a poetry festival representing the hugely vibrant mix of poetry in the UK today will kick off celebrations for National Poetry Day 2017. Taking place in Hull and running from National Poetry Day, 28th September to 1st October, Contains Strong Language will be accompanied by a season of programmes across BBC TV,…
National Poetry Day and the BBC are joining forces this year to discover and celebrate the nation’s great local words in 12 specially commissioned poems – one for each of the 12 BBC regions in England. From today and taking their cue from National Poetry Day’s 2017 theme – Freedom – BBC Local Radio across…
Poets to take up residency in Hull schools This week poets will take up residency in four Hull primary schools to run workshops with pupils to encourage students, teachers and staff to read, write and create poetry as part of Hull UK City of Culture 2017. Each child will create a poem to take home:…
Poems from 18 year-old Vivien Urban and 19 year-old Shukria Rezaei will replace the introduction on the Channel 4 idents throughout the day. Please read here.
5 October 2016 National Poetry Day calls on the nation to “say it with a poem”. Press release here.
29 August 2016 National Poetry Day calls on the nation to “say it with a poem”. Press release here.
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