How To Celebrate National Poetry Day

Is poetry a lost art? We fear it’s on its way out – so National Poetry Day has never been more vital. From entertaining youngsters to comforting adults in life’s darkest moments, there is a poem for every occasion. Here’s exactly what to expect from the national day.

What Is National Poetry Day?

National Poetry Day is an annual literary celebration in the UK dedicated to promoting and enjoying poetry in all of its forms. It was founded in 1994 by Forward Arts Foundation, a charity dedicated to expanding poetry’s audience as well as recognising the achievements of both fames and up-and-coming poets. Held on the first Thursday of October every year, National Poetry Day is committed to encouraging people from all walks of life not just to read or listen to poetry, but to pick up a pen and write some for yourself. It’s estimated around 1.5 million people get involved each year across the UK.

How To Celebrate National Poetry Day

Fancy getting involved? Here are a few ideas:

• Write a poem. If that sounds daunting, why not head over to a cosy cafe, treat yourself to a latte, sit down with a notebook and use your surroundings as a starting point?
• Read some poetry; here’s our pick of 10 timeless poetry books to get you started, or why not check out Forward’s annual poetry collections, gathering fifty new poems from across the nation and the year in one book. Find the 2025 book here and the 2024 book here.
• Listen to some poems – plenty of collections are available as audiobooks, or you can find poets reading their own work on YouTube
• Visit London’s National Poetry Library in the Southbank Centre
• Attend an official event – you can see what’s on across the country here

What’s The Theme?

Every year, Forward Arts Foundation comes up with a theme to inspire budding poets, and this year it is ‘counting’. If you’re looking for a writing prompt for yourself or little ones, this is a great place to start. Think about different things we can count: sheep, seconds, coins. Why do we count them? What would happen if we didn’t? What don’t we count that we should? Where might counting take us? What rhymes with each number?

When Is It?

National Poetry Day takes place on the first Thursday of October each year. This year, that’s 3 October 2024.

EXPLORE

Discover more about National Poetry Day at forwardartsfoundation.org