[Andrew Frisardi]

I didn't know there was a World Poetry Day, but there is and it was yesterday.

At this link there are several Italian poets reading a poem each for the occasion, and at the top of the list is a reading of one by Derek Walcott, by him in English and then translated into Italian. Some good Italian poets in the list too.

Does the day get much attention in the U.S.? A quick google showed me that the UN had some events around it.

[Jayne Osborn]

Andrew,

Like you, I'd never heard of World Poetry Day... and now - shucks, we've bin and gorn 'n' missed it!

As it's "to promote the reading, writing, publishing and teaching of poetry throughout the world" it's rather a pity that it's been kept so quiet. Oh well, never mind, it's only another 364 days till the next one

[Maryann Corbett]

In the US, the attention goes to National Poetry Month (sometimes also called National Poetry Writing Month, aka NaPoWriMo). Contests, promotions, appeals, events, and friendly eggings-on on poetry boards to see who can persist in the effort to write a poem every day--all these go on during April. I suppose we can blame both Chaucer and Eliot for the choice of month.

Do other countries have anything similar (or should I say, this nutty)?

[Jayne Osborn]

All we have in the UK is National Poetry Day in early October. One day!
And it's pretty much a non-event in most places. (We might have someone who's relatively unknown reading in our local library. Big deal.)

You lucky people, with your NaPoWriMo.

[Andrew Frisardi]

Italy doesn't have anything nearly as elaborate or organized as National Poetry Month in the States. I just caught the event on radio yesterday because a friend told me about it. And only then did I find out that it was for World Poetry Day. The radio event, on the national public radio station, was well done: poets reading periodically throughout the day from 6 a.m. to midnight. I live in a small town where no live events (apparently) were going on, but maybe Gregory will pipe in as to what, if anything, was on the menu in Venice.

[Adam Elgar]

Very nice to have those audio links to the Italians, Andrew. To my shame, I think I'd only heard of Anedda and Magrelli. (Ah, the divine Anedda!)