- Categories:
- Arts & Entertainment
- Tags:
- Books
- Where:
- U.K.
- Date change rule:
- Selected annually in late September or early October
- Holiday emoji:
- đź“ś
National Poetry Day invites us to pause and appreciate the beauty of language every autumn. This U.K. and Ireland observance encourages everyone to read, write, and share poetry. Join the celebration by attending local readings, discovering new poets, or simply sharing a favorite verse with friends.
Want to sponsor National Poetry Day? Learn how
Expected National Poetry Day Deals
On National Poetry Day, expect literary organizations, bookstores, and publishers to offer special promotions and events. Look for discounted poetry collections at retailers like Waterstones and Barnes & Noble, as well as virtual readings and workshops hosted by groups such as the Poetry Society and the Forward Arts Foundation. Many independent bookstores will feature local poets and offer signed editions. We will update this page with confirmed live deals as October 1 approaches.
Platform Guide for National Poetry Day
Tag @nationaltoday_ and use #NationalPoetryDay. Share short, visually appealing poems, beautiful book covers, or snippets from your favorite verses. Encourage followers to post their own poetry or recommendations.
X/Twitter
Mention @NatlToday and use #NationalPoetryDay. Share impactful lines, discuss themes, or participate in poetry challenges. Engage with literary accounts and retweet inspiring verses.
Mention National Today (facebook.com/nationaltoday) and use #NationalPoetryDay. Create a community post asking followers to share their favorite poems or poets. Host a live reading or discussion about the day’s theme.
National Poetry Day Hero
William Shakespeare
National Poetry Day timeline
​The "Epic of Gilgamesh"was a series of Sumerian poems and has the distinction of being the first written poem in the world.
​The ancient tale of Beowulf is the oldest surviving epic poem written in Old English with almost 3,200 alliterative lines.
​Radical Beat poet Allen Ginsberg's epic poem, "Howl," exploded onto the poetry scene in San Francisco and revolutionized spoken word all over the world.
​William Sieghart of the Forward Arts Foundation launched National Poetry Day in a British campaign to promote the benefits of poetry using public performances by leading poets.
​Carol Ann Duffy, the first female and openly gay poet laureate in the U.K., took her place of literary prominence, ending 400 years of male dominance.
How Businesses Can Celebrate National Poetry Day
Local businesses can honor National Poetry Day by hosting open mic nights or poetry slams, partnering with local poets for readings, or creating themed displays. Bookstores can offer discounts on poetry collections and feature local authors. Coffee shops can encourage customers to write short poems on napkins, offering a discount for participation. Even non-literary businesses can share favorite poetic quotes on social media, using #NationalPoetryDay to engage their audience.
National Poetry Day FAQs
When is National Poetry Day?
National Poetry Day 2026 takes place on Thursday, October 1, across the U.K. and Ireland. It’s an annual celebration dedicated to appreciating the art of poetry.
How many people read poetry?
Poetry readership has seen a resurgence, with recent surveys indicating that millions of adults read poetry. In the U.S., for instance, over 28 million adults reported reading poetry in 2017, a significant increase from previous years.
What is the theme for National Poetry Day?
The theme for National Poetry Day 2026, as selected by the Forward Arts Foundation, is ‘Change.’ This theme encourages poets and readers to explore transformations in life, society, and nature through verse.
What is the Forward Arts Foundation?
The Forward Arts Foundation is a UK-based charity responsible for organizing National Poetry Day and administering the Forward Prizes for Poetry. Its mission is to broaden the audience for poetry and celebrate its impact.
National Poetry Day Activities
Attend a poetry workshop
National Poetry Day presents poets in unusual settings. You can attend a "Poetry as Therapy" group or be part of a "Poems in the Kitchen" setting while sipping a cup of tea and munching a scone. Libraries, bookshops, hospitals, and public transit are all preparing events to excite everyone about the fun of poetry.
Take the stage
How about belting out a poem during Poetry Karaoke? National Poetry Day has a plethora of activities for those who want to do more than sit quietly on the sidelines. Take a number and spit your poem during a poetry slam. A song is merely a poem set to music so try that too.
Involve the children
One of the big goals of the National Poetry Day events is to expose young people to the power of poetry. Both reading and writing poetry are creative ways to involve children early in literature. National Poetry Day makes it cool to hang out in the library for a day of activities centered on the spoken word. Organize or attend the various children's literary festivals that are in store.
5 (non-rhyming) Reasons We Love Poetry
​It’s cool
​Three of the coolest poets of all time are also best-sellers starting with Shakespeare, followed by Lao-Tzu and Kahlil Gibran.
​It’s okay to break the rules
Seventeenth century poet John Dryden is the father of the oft-ignored grammatical rule which makes it a no-no to end a sentence with a preposition.
​You can do it anywhere
​Sir Walter Scott penned “Marmion," his most famous poem, while riding his horse.
​It’s not for everybody
​Metrophobia is the fear of poetry while metromania is the compulsive need to write it.
Sometimes it’s ideal for long-winded people
​The world’s longest poem is the Mahabharata of India containing about 1.8 million words.
Why We Love National Poetry Day
It's inspirational
Poetry inspires us to observe the world we live in and to think about the roles we play. Poetry allows us to bravely share our innermost feelings even during times when we don't feel especially courageous. National Poetry Day provides a snapshot of a particular moment in time that encourages us to be more than we think we are. It reminds us of the common bonds we share as human beings.
It's a story
Poetry lets us tell a story, whether it's our own or someone else's. Since the dawn of time, cultures around the world have related tales about their heroes with poems recounting valor or dishonorable death. Poems reveal a society's values — what's held dear and which values are detrimental to the whole. Poems speak to an individual's personal journey, detailing everything one sees and hears along the way.
It's not bound by rules
Poems do not have to rhyme. e.e. cummings, for example, threw out traditional punctuation — seeing it as a hindrance to free poetic expression. National Poetry Day creates an open forum for new poets, young poets, established poets, and renegade poets to shake off the conventions of language and freely express outrageous opinions or feelings in a totally loving, safe space.
Social Media Tips for National Poetry Day
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