World Poetry Day – that sacred day when poetry gets mentioned on Radio Channels beyond Radio 2 and Radio 4, the day when a frame is held around words… it was World Frog Day yesterday, but I saved my leaping around for today!
I always mark WPD by making sure I read some poems and either organise or attend an event. Today I am going on a magical tour and then following up the starter with a main, with Apples & Snakes. I will skip dessert… or eat a real one for dinner, as cooking is out of the question this evening!
I hope you have all managed to plan something sweet… if not and you have some time to spare, go and find your favourite spot to relax in, take a book of poems or your phone and read.
Or take advantage of this list of pieces and poems from the world today.
Some poetry I collected from the web this evening:
From Outlook.com (please note there is a trigger warning/ suitability poem listed part way through the first poem).
outlookindia.comworld-poetry-day-two-poems-on-ukraine-and-one-on-peace-during-wartime-
Caleb Parkin
This article was news from before WPD – but let’s share it now:
Anjum Malik Manchester’s first Multi-cultural City Poets
© 2022 Manchester Metropolitan University
Manchester Metropolitan University is well known for strong creative writing courses. Today they marked WPD in a myriad of ways.
© 2022 Manchester Metropolitan University
Khalil Gibran
“Poetry is a deal of joy and pain and wonder, with a dash of the dictionary.”
https://www.amnesty.org.uk/resources/download-words-burn-resources
A review of my magical night of poetry
World Poetry Day: Poetry with a View – Mystery Location at Golden Hour!
About this event
I am excited to announce that Monday 21 March 2022 is World Poetry Day. Escape with me to a mystery location to experience a selection of poetry readings with a beautiful view!
© 2022 Eventbrite/ Sarah
I had no idea when I booked weeks ago where we would even be situated in the world… there really were no clues before I joined the livestream…
to my delight – the North West of England, Lancashire. It was hosted on heygo – which was a perfect platform for WPD.
My first experience of heygo was fabulous – you can capture postcards! Sarah was a fabulous guide, we were treated to 6 poems, lots of factual snippets (including some new ones for me), a beautiful sunset, a walk along the Leeds to Liverpool canal and we even saw some ducks! It was fun to guess the poets. There’s also a navigational map in the top corner too.
We heard:
Warning by Jenny Joseph – this poem was voted Britain’s favourite modern poem (2006) and Nation’s favourite (10 years before), this poem inspired a whole society.
Daffodils – By William Wordsworth. One of England’s most famous nature poets – William Wordsworth – Nation’s Poet Laureate from 1843 until his death in 1850.
A Subaltern’s Love Song by Sir John Betjeman. Classic English Poet – one of the all time well known poets… saved St Pancras Station from demolition!
The Quangle Wangle’s Hat by Edward Lear – born into a middle class family – middle child of 21 children – known for literary nonsense…. died aged 29.
If by Rudyard Kipling – one of the most well known writers of his time, won a Nobel Prize in Literature in 1907. I listed ‘If’ as my favourite poem at the start of the tour!
And we finished with the sun going down to Yes, I’ll Marry You by Pam Ayres!
Later I joined Apples + Snakes for the World Poetry Day Mini Break with Lorna Zita.
About this event
For World Poetry Day this year, Apples and Snakes want to bring a little bit of sunshine and fun with Mozambican poet, cultural projects manager and international Slam Champion Lorna Zita.
More about Lorna:
Lorna Zita is black, spoken word poet, cultural projects manager and international Slam Champion. She represented Mozambique on Digipoem ‘’Zimbabwe’’ and BBC Contains Strong Language in the UK.
She was the second-place winner of the Maputo-Katembe literary contest “The bridge that connects lives” organized by the CCMA and the German Embassy.
In 2020 she was considered the most influential voice of Voices of African Women by I, Africa and currently has two Digipoems Published in partnership with Page Poetry Alive and the British Council.
In 2018 she won the literary contest, organized by Revista Literária Inversos in honor of the International Children’s Day at Feira de Santana in Brazil.
© 2022 Eventbrite/ A+S
This workshop had limited places and I lucky to get one!
It was great to meet Lorna and to see some familiar faces in the group. I admire anyone who can produce a workshop in their 2nd language and I am so glad that we were treated to a poem in Portuguese at the end to hear first hand why Lorna is the SLAM champion that she is!
It was a great way to spend World Poetry Day and I now have a little stash of ideas to write from, some prompts, one incredibly concise poem and have had a good refresher on the use of voice in performance.
awritersfountain 