World Poetry Day

21 MARCH

Held every year on 21 March, World Poetry Day celebrates one of humanity’s most treasured forms of cultural and linguistic expression and identity. Practiced throughout history – in every culture and on every continent – poetry speaks to our common humanity and our shared values, transforming the simplest of poems into a powerful catalyst for dialogue and peace.

UNESCO first adopted 21 March as World Poetry Day during its 30th General Conference in Paris in 1999, with the aim of supporting linguistic diversity through poetic expression and increasing the opportunity for endangered languages to be heard. World Poetry Day is the occasion to honour poets, revive oral traditions of poetry recitals, promote the reading, writing and teaching of poetry, foster the convergence between poetry and other arts such as theatre, dance, music and painting, and raise the visibility of poetry in the media. As poetry continues to bring people together across continents, all are invited to join in.

MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR-GENERAL

'Arranged in words, coloured with images, struck with the right meter, the power of poetry has  no  match. As an  intimate  form  of  expression  that  opens  doors  to  others,  poetry  enriches the dialogue that catalyses  all  human  progress,  and  is more necessary than ever in turbulent times.'

—  Audrey Azoulay, Director-General, on the occasion of 2022 World Poetry Day

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SOURCE: UNESCO