National Poetry Day returns for its 18th year – Registrations are now open

The highly popular and eclectic National Poetry Day will be staged for its 18^th year on 28 August 2015. A varied programme of events around the country will celebrate poetry in its many forms and engage with writers and readers at all levels.

“National Poetry Day is a golden opportunity to celebrate New Zealand poetry not just within extended poetry communities but also within mainstream contexts … Across the nation, a range of eclectic and stimulating events demonstrate new ways to promote the joy of poetry,” says poet Paula Green.

Damien Wilkins, Director of the International Institute of Modern Letters at Victoria University says, “The Day is an incredibly valuable opportunity to connect readers and writers ...The broad range of poets and events, as well as its national reach, make this a highly significant date on the literary calendar.”

In 2015, you can keep abreast of poetry day developments with the National Poetry Day blog (https://nznationalpoetryday.wordpress.com/). It’s dedicated to reviewing New Zealand poetry and keeping those involved as coordinators for Poetry Day events informed about registrations and progress. It is bound to become a hub for poetry lovers nationwide.

This is the first year that National Poetry Day has had no association with the New Zealand Book Awards, and it is funded through a grant from Creative NZ. “We are extremely grateful for CNZ’s support of this year’s event,” says Nicola Legat, chair of the Book Awards Trust, which manages National Poetry Day, with the help of Booksellers NZ.

“They are supporting an amazing grassroots event that takes all sorts of wonderful forms, from poetry readings in libraries and halls to random acts of poetry in the public street.”

Miriam Barr is back on board as National Coordinator, and delighted to be involved in this important programme of events in 2015.

Registrations are now open to enrol your event for National Poetry Day. The combined registration and funding application form can be found online here. All registered events and activities will be included in the official calendar of events.

Event Registrations and Funding Applications both close on Monday, 25 May. For further information and to enrol your event, fill in the form online, or after 31 March, contact Miriam Barr, National Coordinator Poetry Day 2015 miriamnpd@gmail.com.