World Poetry Day 2012

21 March 2012 marks World Poetry Day, first declared by UNESCO in 1999, to "support linguistic diversity through poetic expression and to offer endangered languages the opportunity to be heard within their communities”.

The day continues to be celebrated to promote the teaching of poetry, creative dialogue and the bridging of different art forms. This year, readers, writers and performers worldwide will be celebrating the day with contests, festivals and live readings. In Ghana, the Goethe Institute will be collaborating with EhaLaKasa to host an evening of spoken word performances. In Verona, Italy, celebratory ceremonies held by the World Poetry Academy have already opened with the first international recital of a Renga poem, a Japanese genre of poetry in which poets collaborate to weave together stanzas linked to an original theme, on this occasion, calls for peace and solidarity.

In London, PEN International’s English centre will be spending the week paying tribute to poets who have been persecuted or imprisoned in violation of their right to free expression. Tributes will include a screening of ‘I have no enemies: A Portrait of Liu Xiaobo’, a documentary featuring interviews with many of Liu Xiaobo’s friends and colleagues, including celebrated international artist Ai Weiwei and fellow Tiananmen hunger striker Zhou Duo. The screening will be followed by a reading of some of Liu’s poetry.

If your PEN Centre is getting involved in the festivities, let us know what you are doing via facebook or twitter!

Finally, make sure to join twitter discussions on your favourite poetry and follow celebrations worldwide (#WorldPoetryDay).