Take poetry into the weekend. Today, Friday 23 August, is Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day. With it comes all manner of opportunities to unleash your inner poet and experience the power of poetry.

Thanks to the Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day team here are a few ideas to get involved and take poetry with you into the weekend:

View the regional calendar of events and find a celebration near you. There are open mics, slam poetry, book launches, workshops and more; something for everyone!

Unearth poems in the most unlikely of places: books hidden at bus stops, verses chalked up on pavements, and poems from our 2024 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards poets on street posters thanks to National Poetry Day sponsors Phantom Billstickers.

Pen a poem yourself or share one of your favourites to social media. Don’t forget to use the hashtag #nzpoetryday and make your post public, if you'd like the NPD team to share it.

Join in the celebration of poetry online by liking, commenting on and sharing others’ posts use #nzpoetryday

Whatever you choose to do, as poet and Poetry Day spokesperson Richard Pamatatau says, you don’t have to be a literary scholar to write or recite a poem.

“On Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day, we are all invited to share our joys, fears, and challenges by expressing what often comes to mind, and to share our emotions in a way that resonates with everyone."