Don’t miss this annual celebration of the written and spoken word.

Get ready for poetry to pop up on beaches, on streets, in hospitals, in churches, on public transport, in bookshops, marae, libraries, universities and schools this winter.

Mark your calendars for Aotearoa’s favourite annual poetry fixture: Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day. On Friday, 25th August, the joy of poetry will be celebrated far and wide, with diverse and varied offerings.

Open mic nights, book launches, music and poetry events, competitions and much more are set to ignite the joy of the written and spoken word across the motu. A cherished and integral element of the annual poetry celebration is the competition calendar, providing passionate poets with the opportunity to set their verses free into the world. Creative event organisers have curated an array of delightful challenges in the lead-up to Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day this year, featuring an inaugural competition for adults who write poetry for children, presented by The Poets XYZ; Massey University Press return with their ever-popular Poetry Aotearoa Yearbook Student Poetry Competition, judged by poet and Yearbook editor Tracey Slaughter; and the well-loved Given Words competition will this year be in collaboration with students in Andalusia, Spain.

Keep up with announcements and find the full schedule at poetryday.co.nz