National Poetry Day

It’s National Poetry Day which aims:

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  • To heighten the profile of the New Zealand Post Book Awards and the poetry finalists in particular
  • To encourage access to poetry in a variety of communities
  • To popularise poetry with new audiences
  • To celebrate the unique and vibrant voices that make up New Zealand poetry
  • To support new and emerging poets

The link above will take you to events around the country including:

Brian Turner at Oamaru Library; a poetry evening with Diane Brown, Rogelio Guedea, Michael Harlow, Amos Mann, Sarah Paterson, Jenny Powell and MC, Cy Mathews at Dunedin City Library; and 24 hours of poetry in Wanaka,  which includes  overnight poetry readings on Wanaka Beats 107.3FM, free poetry in local cafes, art-and-poetry competition at Art Upstairs, a public magnetic poetry board in the centre of town, poetry for kids at Wanaka Library and an Open Mic Night, featuring guest reader David Eggleton who is also running a poetry workshop at Wanaka Library.

If you’re looking for poetic blogs a good place to start is Tuesday’s Poem:

At the hub we will have the Best Book of Poetry winners & finalists for 2010: Brian Turner, Bernadette Hall, Michael Harlow & Selina Tusitala Marsh. And Tuesday Poets will post a poem with NZ as a theme or – for the overseas poets – poems on the joys of poetry.

Check out the Live Blog Roll below for posts titled: ‘NZ Poetry Day’. Some of our ‘Tuesday Poems’ this week have a NZ theme too so be wide-ranging.

You could also try writing your own, as  goNZo Freakpower did.