Headteacher Sonia Thompson describes what taking part in the Shadowing Scheme for the CLiPPA meant to her school and its pupils. I first heard about CLPE some years ago and signed up for the CLPE newsletter. The CLiPPA (CLPE Children’s Poetry Award) caught my eye, because at St Matthew’s we love teaching poetry, and we…
This is an extract from ‘Keep Ithaka Always in Your Mind: On the Journey and the Value of Poetry’ by Jacqueline Saphra which appears in Why I Write Poetry edited by Ian Humphreys (Nine Arches Press). Jacqueline describes the value of poetry and how it provides us with a kind of nourishment. The value of poetry to…
BT and Poet Laureate, Simon Armitage unveil “Something Clicked” a reflection of life in 2020 to mark National Poetry Day Read the full poem text here. – In a special collaboration, BT partners with Poet Laureate, Simon Armitage to create “Something Clicked”, a poem reflecting on life in the UK in 2020 – BT to…
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.
The Prince of Wales marked the 25th anniversary of National Poetry Day by recording a reading of Bernard Levin’s ‘Quoting Shakespeare’. The composition explores the everyday use of Shakespeare’s phrases. The reading was broadcast on the BBC Radio 2 Breakfast Show on 3rd October, National Poetry Day 2019. Introducing the piece, The Prince said: I would like…
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…
To celebrate National Poetry Day’s 25th anniversary, the Booksellers Association and Forward Arts Foundation are pleased to announce Poetry Booksellers Love, a list of 25 favourite poetry books from the last 25 years as nominated and voted for by booksellers in the UK and Ireland. The list includes anthologies and single-author collections, poetry for children,…
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…
‘ A treasure trove of wonderful poems for children available all round the clock for anyone and everyone.‘ Michael Rosen Our friends at the Poetry Archive have just launched this fantastic new resource The Children’s Poetry Archive featuring our very own National Poetry Day ambassador Micheal Rosen as Patron! Find out more from the press…
This year National Poetry Day marks its 25th anniversary with a mass campaign highlighting poetry’s power to touch on truth – whether intimate or on the grand scale. The ‘In Poetry, Truth’ campaign, which culminates on Thursday 3 October with thousands of poetry events across the UK, is supported by poetry champion and broadcaster Cerys…
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 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 10 June, leading with National Poetry Day’s 2019 theme of Truth, BBC Local Radio stations from Derby to Devon, Lancashire to London are inviting listeners…
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 (Olympia 12th – 14th March) 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 the LBF is appointing a Poet of the Fair and…
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 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, Tell…
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…
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…
BBC Live Lessons, the UK’s biggest classroom, is hosting a special event at 2pm on National Poetry Day, Thursday 4th October. Featuring poetry reading, performances, and critical analysis of similes and metaphor, this free interactive show will broadcast live into schools across the UK. It will be led by award-winning performance poet, author and National…
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…
What do we know today, and what are the unknowns of tomorrow? Subject to Change at the Barbican invites twelve young poets to speak to our changing world, one for every month of 2018. Part of the Barbican’s 2018 Season, The Art of Change, which explores how artists respond to, reflect and can potentially effect…
Poet Karl Nova has won the CLiPPA 2018 for his debut collection, Rhythm and Poetry, published by Caboodle Books. Grace Nichols, Poet and Chair of the CLiPPA 2018 judges said of the winning book: “This book really stood out for me with its refreshing use of the rap genre, its musicality, its immediacy and thoughtful…
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…
Nuclear stand-off, new-born lambs, sex and Hollywood blockbusters, addiction – Britain’s most coveted poetry awards, the Forward Prizes for Poetry feature shortlists dominated by “urgent, engaged and inspirational” voices tackling complex subjects with brio. The chair of the 2018 jury, the writer, critic and broadcaster Bidisha, said: “In reading for this year’s Forward Prizes, the…
We are delighted to announce the publication of a brand new National Poetry Day anthology. Otter-Barry Books will publish Poetry For a Change on 6th September, well in time for National Poetry Day. Poetry For a Change features original poems by each of the following poets: Deborah Alma, Joseph Coelho, Marjorie Lotfi Gill, Remi Graves…
Our partners CLPE (Centre for Literacy in Primary Education) have announced the shortlist for the 2018 CLiPPA, the children’s poetry award. Judges Grace Nichol, Kate Wakeling, Imogen Lycett Green, Charlotte Hacking and Anthony Anaxagorou have chosen these six great books: John Agard: The Rainmaker Danced, illustrated by Satoshi Kitamura, Hodder Ruth Awolola, Victoria Adukwei Bulley,…
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,…
Congratulations to 24-year-old Momtaza Mehri who has been named as London’s new Young People’s Laureate. Momtaza will work with Spread the Word for a year on youth-focused residencies across the capital and will front a tour in six outer London Boroughs: Barking and Dagenham, Brent, Kingston, Bromley, Redbridge and Sutton. In her new role, she…
The London Book Fair (LBF) is delighted to announce Imtiaz Dharker as its first ever Poet of the Fair. Imtiaz Dharker’s latest book, Luck Is the Hook, her sixth from Bloodaxe, is published next week. Imtiaz Dharker will be at the Fair on Wednesday 11 April and will be in conversation about her work in…
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…
Well done to all the children who wrote a poem for the Imagine a Poem Competition run in association with Frances Lincoln Children’s Books and Amnesty International. We asked National Poetry Day Ambassador and artist Sophie Herxheimer to read and review them. Here’s what she had to say: ‘I very much enjoyed reading all the…
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…
For National Poetry Day 2017 in association with Frances Lincoln and Amnesty International UK, we ran a special competition asking children to write a poem inspired by the theme of Freedom, and in particular John Lennon’s immortal song Imagine, which is now the basis for a beautiful picture book, illustrated by Jean Jullien. Thank you…
BBC Local Radio and National Poetry Day have won Silver in the Best Branded content or partnerships category at the 2017 ARIAS – the Audio and Radio Industry Awards – which aims to recognise talent, innovation and excellence across the entire audio and radio industry. Awarded for their 2016 campaign, BBC Local Radio and National…
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…
WIN NATIONAL POETRY DAY RECOMMENDED TITLES Tweet us your favourite poetry and use our hashtag #NationalPoetryDay to win 10 incredible poetry anthologies To celebrate National Poetry Day 2017, Thursday 28 September, we’re giving you the chance to win ten of our recommended poetry books. Be in the running to win the following incredible titles: Ten…
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…
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…
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…
‘The Poetry Book Society is a great place for discovery… I wish my school library had offered me such poets‘ – Gillian Clarke, GCSE Syllabus Poet and Former National Poet of Wales To celebrate National Poetry Day our partners the Poetry Book Society are offering 10% off all school memberships. Poetry Book Society school membership…
Congratulations Kate Wakeling, winner of the CLiPPA 2017 (CLPE Children’s Poetry Award) for her first collection for children, Moon Juice, illustrated by Elīna Brasliņa, published by The Emma Press. Rachel Rooney, Poet and Chair of the CLiPPA 2017 judges praised the winning book; ‘Moon Juice is a book brimming with surprises. Some of the poems…
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,…
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,…
This year, National Poetry Day will be launched from Hull, in honour of its status as city of culture. Hull, with its proud abolitionist history, via celebrated son William Wilberforce, is also behind this year’s NPD theme: FREEDOM. In May, the Hull No Limits Learning team invited National Poetry Day to run a poetry festival…
Poet, short-story writer, bookseller and vlogger Jen Campbell shows us how to share poems on National Poetry Day.
Guest continuity announcers took over Channel 4’s on-air continuity on 6th October 2016 as the broadcaster celebrated National Poetry Day. The clips below feature Vahni Capildeo, Nancy Campbell and Devika Seasons. Also featured are eighteen-year-old Vivien Urban, from Hungary and nineteen-year-old Shukria Rezaei from Afghanistan. After moving to the UK at the ages of 11 (Vivien) and…
BBC Local Radio and the Forward Arts Foundation, along with the 40 stations of BBC local radio in England, marked National Poetry Day 2016 by each broadcasting a poem commissioned from 40 #BBCLocalPoets. Each poet adopted the voice of a characteristic local landmark or mascot: from Lincolnshire sausage (Gemma Baker, BBC Radio Lincolnshire) to Essex’s infamous A12…
We’ve created 16 shareable slides of poetry so you can say it with a poem all over social media on #NationalPoetryDay.
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…
Our partners at the Centre for Literacy in Primary Education (CLPE) have announced the 2017 shortlist for the Centre for Literacy in Primary Poetry Award (CLiPPA). This is the 15th anniversary of the CLiPPA which encourages and celebrates outstanding poetry published for children. This year’s shortlist reflects the breadth and depth of poetry for children…
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:…
Since 2014, writers Imogen Lycett Green and Barbara Doherty have pioneered the use of poetry in Narrative Workshops at the Brighton Health & Wellbeing centre, an integrated NHS practice in East Sussex. Reading, discussion and expressive writing in response to poetry have been proven to increase emotionaland physical resilience. Narrative Workshops help people who are…
Poetry sales continued to grow in 2017 ahead of World Poetry Day (21 March), with writers driving interest on social media a possible reason reports The Bookseller.
Annual sales of poetry books are set to surpass £10m for the first time since records began. Read about it on The Bookseller.
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.
National Poetry Day and BBC Local Radio have teamed up to challenge stereotypes and celebrate the distinctive natures of the regions that together compose the United Kingdom. From now, inspired by National Poetry Day’s 2019 theme of Truth, BBC Local Radio stations from Derby to Devon, Lancashire to London, plus BBC Radio Wales and Scotland,…
HRH The Prince of Wales will launch National Poetry Day Celebrations with a reading of Seamus Heaney’s poem The Shipping Forecast. Please read here.
The Prince of Wales, Joanna Lumley and PJ Harvey and 40 BBC Local Radio poets get ready to enjoy, discover and share poetry. Please read here.
Hear HRH Prince Charles launched National Poetry Day 2016 with a reading of ‘The Shipping Forecast’ by Seamus Heaney HRH The Prince of Wales celebrated National Poetry Day 2016 with a reading of one of Seamus Heaney’s poems, ‘The Shipping Forecast’, on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. The recording was been specially created for Seamus…
Hear extraordinary personal journeys and discover some of the newest and brightest poets from across the globe. Please read here.
Forward Arts Foundations commissions new poems from the five poets shortlisted for the Felix Dennis Prize for Best First Collection. Poets were invited to respond to the National Poetry Day 2016 theme of ‘messages’. The Felix Denis Prize for Best First Collection celebrates the best books of poetry from new poets publishing in the UK. The prize…
5 October 2016 National Poetry Day calls on the nation to “say it with a poem”. Press release here.
Forward Arts Foundation asked the poets shortlisted for the Felix Dennis Prize for Best First Collection to create a new poem on the theme of ‘messages’ to celebrate National Poetry Day 2016. Not only did the poets respond with written poems, they sent us audio recordings, films and a digital text generating engine! Download as PDF file…
Free The Word on National Poetry Day This year, we celebrate the poetry in England and Scotland’s favourite local words through National Poetry Day, which worked with the BBC, Hull City of Culture and 13 poets on the creation of 13 new poems. Each poem riffs on a different dialect word that deserves to be…
Forward Art’s Foundation and Macmillan Children’s Books have created ‘Messages: A National Poetry Day Book’ to celebrate National Poetry Day 2016 and encourage readers to ‘say it with a poem’. Fourteen National Poetry Day ambassadors have contributed new poems and nominated old favourites, including Matt Goodfellow, Rachel McCrum, Deborah Alma, Brian Moses, Liz Brownlee, Michaela…
Libraries – WIN a National Poetry Day kit – posters, badges and books To kick-start the countdown to National Poetry Day, we’re offering libraries all over the country the chance to win a special Say it with a poem kit to help you prepare for the big day. Each kit contains 6 National Poetry Day…
29 August 2016 National Poetry Day calls on the nation to “say it with a poem”. Press release here.
WIN a National Poetry Day schools kit – posters, badges and books In schools all over the country it’s the day when poetry breaks out of the classroom into the corridors, the canteen, the sports field, and beyond. To kick-start the countdown, we’re offering schools all over the UK the chance to win a special…
A free poetry anthology of wonderful poems – old and new – on the theme of “messages”. The fourteen poets in this eBook – created by Macmillan Children’s Books with Forward Arts Foundation – were all National Poetry Ambassadors. Download: mobi file (Kindle) epub file PDF file Contributors include: Deborah Alma, Liz Brownlee, Paul Cookson,…
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