The Academy of American Poets as a non-profit organization who aims to support American poets of all stages to promote contemporary poetry has every reason to celebrate the month of April every year. Since its advent in 1996, the Academy initiated a month long national commemoration of poetry and whenever April comes, they present several special events to ensure that poetry gains national attention in the media.
This concept called the National Poetry Month seeks to widen the attention of individuals and the media (to the art of poetry, to living poets, to our complex poetic heritage, and to poetry books and journals of wide aesthetic range and concern).
The National Poetry increases the visibility and availability of poetry in popular culture. It also acknowledges and celebrates poetry’s ability to sustain itself in the many places where it is practiced and appreciated.
National Poetry Month’s Activities:
- Posters: Each year the Academy creates and distributes nearly 200,000 official NPM posters, which are mailed for free to teachers, librarians, and booksellers nationwide.
- Events: The Academy presents several special events and readings in April. Some of our special events include a 10 Years/10 Cities reading series and our star-studded annual Poetry & The Creative Mind.
- Publicity: To ensure that poetry gains national attention in the media each April, the Academy mails several thousand press releases and media kits each year to editors and journalists across the country. As a result, thousands of articles about poetry appear in newspapers, magazines, and online media outlets. The Academy also acts as the official clearing house for news and information about National Poetry Month.
- Inspiration & Guidance: The Academy offers a plethora of practical resources for celebrating NPM, including tips for teaching poetry during April, creating a poetry book display in your bookstore or library, presenting a poetry reading or contest, and much more.
