Today saw the launch of National Poetry Day’s most impressive event programme to date, with almost 100 events set to take place across Aotearoa.

Enjoying its 19th year National Poetry Day 2016 will be celebrated on Friday 26th August, continuing its legacy of taking poetry to the people of New Zealand. From small towns to big cities, primary school classrooms to rest-homes, pubs to cyberspace this year’s events are some of the most creative and ambitious yet.

Kawakawa hits the National Poetry Day map for the first time and the poetry slam movement finds its way to Whangarei. In Auckland join a lunchtime mission to cover the Mt Eden pavements in poetry using chalk and end the day with a fusion of poetry and Butoh performance art at FLOCK; enjoy poems with pets and help raise some funds for New Lives Animal Rescue in Hamilton; take part in a four-day poetry festival in Rotorua; read graffiti poems as they pop up around Whanganui’s CBD; catch Apirana Taylor in performance as he tours the towns around Hutt City; go on a poetry crawl from morning till night in Wellington city; check out the Poetry Fridge Door in Nelson’s Elmer Library; Spend an afternoon with poets like Frankie McMillan, and Bernadette Hall and find out who won the Hagley Writer’s Institute Poetry Competition in Christchurch; help create a poem for Dunedin by Dunedin; head to the poetry creation station in Wanaka; or participate in one of the many open mic nights, public readings, workshops, and other amazing events - there is so much more than what is highlighted here.

Can’t get to an event? Then download Poems in Your Pocket to read and share with friends or call or text The Poetry Phone to get your poetry fix.

Visit the 2016 Calendar of Events to find out more.