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National Poetry Day 2025
National Poetry Day 2025 took Play as its theme, with poems in classrooms, libraries, on public transport and online.
- Dates
- 2 October 2025
- Where
- Schools, libraries, bookshops and venues across the UK
- Type
- Reading campaign
- Organiser
- Forward Arts Foundation
National Poetry Day is the UK's annual celebration of poetry, run by the Forward Arts Foundation since 1994. Each edition has a theme that schools, libraries, bookshops and cultural organisations can build activities around.
The 2025 edition took place on Thursday 2 October with the theme Play. Schools made word-play bunting and performed poems, libraries ran blackout poetry sessions, and poems appeared on the Tyne and Wear Metro and on audio platforms. The actor Helena Bonham Carter read a poem by Mary Oliver as part of the day.
Readers and writers can take part by sharing a favourite poem, writing one on the theme or attending a local event. Bookshops and libraries can use the foundation's free resources for displays and readings.
Organised by Forward Arts Foundation. Tingle Press lists it as an event worth your time and is not the organiser. Check the organiser's website for final details.