National Poetry Month

Established in Canada in April 1999 by the League, National Poetry Month brings together schools, publishers, booksellers, literary organizations, libraries, and poets across the country to celebrate poetry and its vital place in Canada's culture. Communities and businesses participate through readings, festivals, book displays, and other events.

THIS SPRING, EXPLORE THE FUTURE OF POETRY!

Reading Proposals Now Being Accepted for NPM 2007:

This April, Canada will be celebrating its 9th annual National Poetry Month.  To help poets and poetry organizers in their production of NPM events, the League is offering funding for readings and performances which explore this year’s theme:  Poetry: Future (In) tense.

What will poetry sound like in the future?  What is a techno-poem?  How will poetry fuse with other art forms like theatre or music?  Instead of science-fiction, what would science-poetry sound like?   The League asks poets to explore these ideas by infusing their NPM events with ‘futuristic themes’ for April 2007.

Building on the success of past years’ NPM events, the League is also encouraging events which take place in non-traditional venues.  Some successful venues from 2006 include readings in parks, movie theatres, art galleries and a local zoo. For complete guidelines and application form click here.

COMPLETE GUIDELINES & APPLICATION

• Apply for a chance to have a poet visit for free! In celebration of National Poetry Month, the League is accepting applications for full-funding for the Ontario Poets in the School's Program during Young Poets Week (April 9-15th). Applications will be accepted until March 15th. Please note: Funding is limited on first-come basis. Click here for more info... (pdf)

• Resources. Tip sheets for booksellers, teachers and librarians, funding for NPM events, biographies of Canadian poets, spring poetry titles for review, examples of poetry displays in libraries.
• NPM Posters

• 2006 National Poetry Month Overview

• 2006 National Poetry Month Events

• 2006 Young Poets Week & Youth Initiatives

• 2006 National Poetry Month Closing Gala