National Poetry Day was established in 1997. A one-day national poetry event extravaganza, it is held on the fourth Friday of August each year. In 2019, Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day will take place nationwide on 23 August.
From seasoned poets, to total newbies, to the simply-a-bit-curious, participants in the record-breaking 2018 National Poetry Day had the opportunity at about 150 events around the country, to be touched by the magic and excitement of poetry, to get involved in the poetry community, and to discover New Zealand poets, share poems and explore and experience what poetry is all about.
2017 was our twentieth anniversary, and to celebrate we published our incredible 20/20 Collection showcasing the current range and diversity of New Zealand’s poetry and poets.
This year we’re aiming to break records again. These events are all organised by poetry-loving volunteers and involve thousands of people in more than thirty towns and cities all over the country.They include a number of great competitions leading up to and after Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day — some nationwide, others region-specific — with many of the winners announced on the day.
- Registrations for National Poetry Day 2019 will open on 13 March.
- You can view the 2018 National Calendar of Events here.
- Click here to find out how to run an event.
Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day is governed by the New Zealand Book Awards Trust.