National Poetry Day is on this Friday 26 August. Poetry Day events in Canterbury are listed on the 2016 Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day website:
Events on National Poetry Day - Friday 26 August
National Poetry Day Celebration Readings 12.30pm at Scorpio Bookshop in Hereford Street. Winners of the Hagley Institute 2016 Poetry Day competition will be announced by judge James Norcliffe and there will be readings from Frankie McMillan, Bernadette Hall, Christina Starchurski, Teoti Jardine, Jeni Curtis, Marisa Cappetta, Rose Collins and the competition winners. Part of WORD Christchurch Writers and Readers Festival.
WORD Christchurch Writers and Readers Festival has a strong programme of poetry including the following sessions on Poetry Day itself:
- Leaving the Red Zone
- An hour with Dame Fiona Kidman
- Shelf life: C.K. Stead
- Reading favourites
- The Power of Poetry featuring Bill Manhire, Selina Tusitala Marsh, C.K. Stead, Fiona Kidman, Chris Tse and special guest Ali Cobby Eckermann
- Slam poets at Rangiora Library
- Book launch - Frankie McMillan and James Norcliffe
- The stars are on fire includes poet Tusiata Avia
More poetry events
Thursday 25 August
Speaking proud Thursday 25 August 6pm. Event to raise funds to continue the work of Q-topia, an organisation that supports LGBTQIA+ Youth in Canterbury.
New Regent Street Pop up Festival Thursday 25 August, 6pm - this WORD Christchurch event includes Lady Poets at Shop Eight - a badass, subversive poetry show like no other! Lady Poets celebrates the voices and stories of women and genderqueer poets and performers. MC: Audrey Baldwin. and Catalyst at The Last Word - Catalyst is a literary arts journal committed to experimental and non-traditional creative forms: song lyrics, script/screenplay excerpts, spoken word, rap, visual poetry, and more.
Saturday 27 August
Poetry events at WORD:
- Where do you get your ideas from?
- Margaret Mahy Family Playground Haiku Hike
- Last Word Whisky and Poetry
Hear my voice Christchurch performers Sophie Rea, Daisy Speaks and Tusiata Avia are current National Poetry Slam champ Mohamed Hassan, former US National Poetry Slam champ Ken Arkind, fast talking PI Selina Tusitala Marsh and internationally renowned Canadian storyteller and writer Ivan E. Coyote. MCed by Ciarán Fox
Poetry at Parklands - the Poet within
2pm. Parklands Library draws on "the poet within", within the Christchurch City Libraries that is. That's right, many of our librarians are writers too. Instead of dispensing poetry books on the day after National Poetry Day, four of our librarian-poets will be reading their own work. The poets are Damien Taylor, Rob Lees, Dylan Kemp and Andrew Bell.
Sunday 28 August
More WORD poetry events including:
- Sunday Fringe Rising Voices showcase best of the talented young Christchurch poets from the Rising Voices Youth Poetry Movement, introduced by Alice Andersen.
- Waimakariri Libraries Poetry slams in schools
- Sister Cities / First Nations
- Spirit House / Unity Tusiata Avia and Selina Tusitala Marsh
Poetry spots in Christchurch
Go down to The Terraces and see the poetry on the banks by Apirana Taylor. Wander further afield and see Ōtākaro to Victoria nā Hinemoana Baker at a mini-park at 108 Victoria Street. There are also poems on power poles on Victoria Street: Whakapapa by Ariana Tikao, and Victoria Street by Ben Brown. There are always fab poems about the town thanks to Phantom Poetry posters as provided by Phantom Billstickers.
Poems in your pocket
Why not put some poetry in your pocket? Download this year's poems from the National Poetry Day website including one by WORD Christchurch guest Tusiata Avia.
- Like the National Poetry Day Facebook page
- Browse our page of poetry resources
Our poetry pics
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