National Poetry Day lights up the nation at 21

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1 *** PRESS RELEASE 29 June 2015 *** National Poetry Day lights up the nation at 21 National Poetry Day, the nationwide celebration of poetry and all things poetical, will mark its 21 st anniversary on Thursday 8 October The day is an opportunity to break with the tyranny of prose for 24 hours by thinking of a poem and sharing it in imaginative ways. Expect impromptu pop-up poetry festivals in thousands of unexpected places, from shops, streets and offices to doctors waiting rooms and railway stations. On BBC Radio 4, Andrew Marr, Dominic West and some of Britain s most-loved poets and performers will mark the day by weaving poetry into the schedule from early morning until late at night. We British: An Epic in Poetry will tell the story of Britain through its poetry, from the earliest verses ever written on the British Isles to some of the most recent. This year s National Poetry Day theme is Light: proprietors of power stations and lighthouses, opticians, photographers and firework-makers are among the professions pledged to participate by displaying poems. National Poetry Day is co-ordinated by the Forward Arts Foundation, a charity that celebrates poetry and promotes it as part of everyday life. With MacMillan Children s Books, it has nominated seven leading children s poets as National Poetry Day Ambassadors, with special responsibility for igniting enthusiasm nationwide. The best of their freshly composed poems on the subject of light will be launched into the air over the nation by balloon, rocket and paper plane. The Forward Arts Foundation awards the annual Forward Prizes for Poetry and publishes the Forward Book of Poetry, an indispensable anthology of the year s best poems. In London, The Poetry Society and Southbank centre are handing over the reins of one of the year s biggest poetry events of the year to young poetry producers who will curate a day of free poetry readings, films, performances and workshops at the Clore ballroom. Last year s event was packed with great

2 2 performances, ranging from Gruffalo author Julia Donaldson, to Forward Prize winner Kei Miller. This is the chance to see some of the biggest names in poetry, alongside those writers and performers regarded as the future of poetry. Poet in the City will be hosting a Poetry Breakfast at the Bloomsbury Hotel, presenting prize-winning young poet Helen Mort. At day s end, expect an evening of poetry and music with David Harsent and Madeleine Mitchell at the London lighting shop Ligne Roset City. In the week leading up to National Poetry Day, poems in the store s glass front will provide inspiration to passersby. In Wales four young poets will be locked up to compose 100 poems in Welsh in twenty four hours, on subjects chosen by the public. The participants in Literature Wales Her 100 Cerdd will take suggestions via social media and BBC Radio Cymru, posting the results online. The Poetry Archive will have a limited edition National Poetry Day download collection available in October on its website. In honour of this year s theme, it will be a bundle of light featuring well-known voices reading poems that refer to light. In Scotland, 380,000 poetry postcards will be given away by the Scottish Poetry Library, which will also launch a residency of an early career poet with BBC Radio Scotland - a unique position and the first of its kind for Scotland The days leading up to National Poetry Day will be charged with events, including the announcement of the winners of the Forward Prizes for Poetry, Britain s most talked about poetry prizes, live on 28 th September at the Southbank centre. For images and interviews contact Erica Spurrier on erica@thirteenways.co.uk or Rebecca Blackwood rebecca@thirteenways.co.uk

3 3 NOTES TO EDITORS National Poetry Day, founded by the Forward Arts Foundation 21 years ago, is a major national celebration: last year it reached more than 50 million people. For details, visit ANTHOLOGIES PUBLISHED IN THE RUN-UP TO NATIONAL POETRY DAY The Forward Book of Poetry (Faber & Faber) 8.99, published 17 Sept 2015 The Forward Book of Poetry 2015 collects the best contemporary poetry of the year as chosen by the judges of the Forward Prizes. It includes poetry from each of the books shortlisted for the Best Collection and Best First Collection prizes, the full shortlist of Best Single Poems plus more than 50 highly commended poems from this year s prize submissions. Poets featured include Ciaran Carson, Clive James, Paul Muldoon, Kate Tempest and Claudia Rankine. This year s book cover is designed by artist Georgie Hopton.

4 4 PRIZES Forward Prizes for Poetry The Forward Prizes for Poetry are the most prestigious awards for poetry in Britain and Ireland. They were set up in 1991 to celebrate excellence in new writing, and are awarded to published poets for work in print in the last year. The winners will be announced on Monday 28 September 2015 at London s Southbank Centre. Writer and broadcaster A L Kennedy chairs this year s judging panel, with BBC producer Emma Harding and the poets Colette Bryce, Carrie Etter and Warsan Shire, the first Young Poet Laureate for London. The Forward Prize for Best Collection 10,000 The Felix Dennis Prize for Best First Collection 5,000 The Forward Prize for Best Single Poem 1,000 The Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award 2015 The Foyle Young Poets Award is the world's largest award for young poets aged years old. It has kick-started the careers of some of the most exciting new poets. One hundred winners (85 Commendations and 15 Overall Winners) receive their awards at a prize giving on National Poetry Day. The awards are organised by the Poetry Society: this year s judges are Liz Berry and Michael Symmons Roberts. Betjeman Poetry Prize Finalists of the Betjeman Poetry Prize will read at a ceremony in St Pancras International, next to Sir John Betjeman s statue. The winner of the first prize of 1,000 will be judged by author Lauren Child and A.F. Harrold. PARTNERS Forward Arts Foundation Forward Arts Foundation (FAF) is the independent charitable organisation behind National Poetry Day and the Forward Prize. It is supported by Arts Council England. Literature Wales Literature Wales is the National Company for the development of literature in Wales. Its many projects and activities include Wales Book of the Year, an annual Literary Tourism programme, the National Poet of Wales and Young People's Laureate for Wales. The Poetry Archive Poetry Archive exists to make poetry accessible, relevant and enjoyable to a wide audience via recordings of poets. It runs the Poetry By Heart competition,

5 5 encouraging memorization and recitation of poetry in schools. The Poetry Archive NPD download will be available from its website for Poet in the City A leading UK poetry charity that programmes over 40 live poetry events a year, promotes poetry to new audiences and makes new connections for the art form. The Poetry Book Society Founded by T S Eliot and friends in 1953, the Poetry Book Society provides readers with a selection of the best new poetry, promotes poetry to a wide audience and runs the T S Eliot Prize, with its Shadowing and Reading Group schemes. The Poetry Society Founded in 1909, the Poetry Society aims to advance the study, use and enjoyment of poetry, and publishes the leading poetry magazine, Poetry Review. The Society also runs the Foyle Young Poets of the Year Award, Young Poets Network, the National Poetry Competition and the Ted Hughes Award for New Work in Poetry. Scottish Poetry Library The Scottish Poetry Library is a national resource and advocate for the art of poetry, with a special focus on Scottish poetry. It distributes 300,000 poem postcards around Scotland for National Poetry Day each year. Southbank Centre The UK s largest arts centre, occupying a 21-acre site that sits in the midst of London s most vibrant cultural quarter on the South Bank of the Thames. It is the home of live literature in the UK, with a thriving year-round programme of readings, talks and events unrivalled by any other organisation in the capital. National Poetry Day education resources available online will include downloadable activity packs for libraries, teachers and parents, encouraging children to write, read and share poetry. The exercises relate to the letters in the word Light, and have been prepared by a variety of partner organisations including Apples and Snakes, First Story, CLPE and Poetry By Heart.