National Poetry Month

Established in Canada in April 1998 by the League of Canadian Poets, National Poetry Month brings together schools, publishers, booksellers, literary organizations, libraries, communities and poets from across the country to celebrate poetry and its vital place in Canada's culture.

Coming Winter 2023/24: National Poetry Month 2024 Theme Announcement!

National Poetry Month 2023: JOY

joy is. reading by a window with a soft blanket. an old plant with a new bloom. a completed to-do-list. the first big snowfall. banana bread in the oven. the squeak of sand under bare feet. a cat purring on my lap. finding the perfect GIF to send to the groupchat. a hot cup of coffee. filling the page with unplanned words. freshly painted nails. still and quiet moments of solitude, when all there is to do is rest. cold, crisp mornings. the careful turn of an old book’s pages. a fresh bowl of ramen. feeling blessed and loved. setting a personal best. my favourite pair of sneakers. planting vegetables in the garden. sitting on the couch doing nothing, partner on one side, dog on the other. the crack of a home run. a warm cup of milky Earl Grey. a sunset from a plane window.

What does Joy mean to you?

National Poetry Month

Pick up some poetry

There are so many ways to incorporate poetry into your April 2023. The League of Canadian Poets is proud to share our NPM Celebration Collection which includes a variety of  resources, activities, events and of course– poetry! 

Celebrate NPM

National Poetry Month

Poem In Your Pocket Day

One day in every National Poetry Month is Poem In Your Pocket Day: an international movement that encourages people to center poetry within their daily interactions. On PIYP Day, select a poem, carry it with you, and share it with others at schools, bookstores, libraries, parks, workplaces, coffee shops, street corners, and on social media using the hashtag #PIYP

National Poetry Month 2023 Blog

Book Awards 2023: What is a poem you turn to for comfort or joy?

We asked the longlisters and shortlisters of the 2023 Book Awards, What is a poem you turn to for comfort or joy? Winners will be announced on May 4, 2023.…
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NPM23 Blog: Room for Little Joys by Prathna Lor

I was asked to write about joy and, to be honest, I’ve been having a hard time thinking about how to approach the subject. Now, that’s not to say I’m…
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Plain-text: Poem In Your Pocket Day 2023

BOSRA, SYRIA 2009     for A and E George Amabile 1 We’re standing in a light breeze, in a field of poppies, white and red, their heads nodding and tossing…
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Book Awards 2023: What does JOY mean to you?

We asked the finalists of the 2023 Book Awards, What does Joy mean to you? See what the poets had to say! The theme of National Poetry Month 2023 is…
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NPM23 Blog: 6 Activities to Spark Creative Joy

by Leila-Indira Mohabeer-Ortiz Happy National Poetry Month! April is a month of joy, with the weather getting warmer and the sun shining brighter, the springtime brings forward a multitude of…
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NPM23 Blog: Pulling Joy Forward by Elizabeth Mudenyo

Easy Joy Rock huntinghands digging past algaeknee deep in water orkeeled over dusting off sandputting rocks in the bucket of our shirtsshining them and showing them offWhat a lucky find.Oh…
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NPM23 Blog: Rewilding Poetry Through Joy by Shannon Webb-Campbell

If you ask me if I made a new year’s resolution I’d tell you no. Such rigid ways often result in the opposite outcome, or at least that’s how it…
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NPM23 Blog: Joy at the Door by Ash Winters

Oh Joy, how I have searched for you on long dreary winter days. Sometimes thinking I have caught a glimpse of spring out of the corner of my eye only…
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National Poetry Month 2023: Joy – Social Media Graphics

This April 2023, we celebrate National Poetry Month: JOY! LCP has partnered with designer Megan Fildes for our poster, bookmark and Poem In Your Pocket Postcards this National Poetry Month…
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NPM 2022: Intimacy

National Poetry Month 2022: INTIMACY April 2022 is National Poetry Month! The League of Canadian Poets invites you to celebrate the 24nd National Poetry Month this April 2022 with the…
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Poem in Your Pocket Day 2022

Poem in Your Pocket Day – April 29, 2022 – is an international movement that encourages people to centre poetry within their daily interactions. On PIYP Day, select a poem,…
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NPM22 Blog: Why? And Why Now?: On Poetry and Companionship by Rob Taylor

My mother is disappearing. Diagnosed with dementia six years ago, in recent months her confusion has redoubled, her memories leaving and arriving as unpredictably as fish to the surface of…
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A Gathering of Poets in Response to Peril

How do poets respond to precarious events in the world? In his famous elegy for W. B. Yeats, W. H. Auden says, “poetry makes nothing happen.” And he adds: “it…
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NPM22 Blog: An Ecology of Intimacy: Through the Lens of Poetry by Penn Kemp

From Intimacy to Intimate, sans Intimidation. When asked to write a piece for National Poetry Month on Intimacy, who’s intimidated? Not me. I’ll just skip that ‘id’ and intimate softly…
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NPM22 Blog: Poetic Intimacy by Fedana “Fefe” Toussaint

I wonder what he tastes like… It may seem like a sexual statement to make, but every time I see him, I remember that my hands were made to hold…
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NPM22 Blog: Creating Intimacy Onstage by Charlie Petch

Effective performers have a talent for making the audience feel seen. They say the things you’d only think, and never speak. They somehow gain your trust from the stage, in…
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Book Awards 2022 – Shortlists

The League of Canadian Poets is proud to present the 2022 Book Awards Shortlists, including the Gerald Lampert Memorial Award, the Pat Lowther Memorial Award, and the Raymond Souster Award. The winners…
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NPM22 Blog: Faded Poems and Intimate Connections: Ten Fragments on Writing and Translation by Yilin Wang

I grew up with poetry by my side. One of my earliest memories is that of when I was three or four, bouncing up and down on a bed in…
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NPM22 Blog: Close Friends by David Delisca

Close Friends.   Ok. Whatever. Aight.   The close friends feature on Da ‘Gram (Instagram) oftenly trips me out (or in). Bambi legs with sneakers, shuffling in its stance. I’m…
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NPM22 Blog: We Speak in Poetry by Hasan Namir

Dear reader, If you are reading this, you’re either a poet or someone who appreciates and enjoys reading poetry. Or maybe you’re not a big poetry fan but you want…
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National Poetry Month for Kids & Youth

There are so many ways to celebrate National Poetry Month! The League of Canadian poets is proud to offer a wide variety of poetry resources to promote NPM for children and teens, as well as parents, educators and community facilitators.

Poetry to Get Through High School

High School can be tough. Some of the answers can be found in the classroom, but poetry is also a place to find resonance, shared experience, and creativity. Check out this post by Author Nic Brewer for suggestions of poetry for youth readers– no Dr. Suess on this list!

5 Simple Activities to Get Kids Celebrating Nature with Poetry

To help the little ones in your life celebrate National Poetry Month, we came up with a few activities that will help you engage them with poetry, naturally. These are activities you can do indoors or during a quick trip outside because, let’s face it, lots of Canada is still frozen, freezing, or just plain cold in April!

NPM: Intimacy Colouring Pages

Explore conversations about poetry and intimacy with these inspiring colouring pages!

National Poetry Month began in the US in 1996, spearheaded by the Academy of American Poets on the steps of a post office in New York City. There, the story goes, Academy staff members handed out copies of T.S. Eliot’s poem, “The Waste Land,” which begins, “April is the cruellest month…” to individuals waiting in line to mail their tax returns. 

Established in Canada in 1998, NPM now brings together schools, publishers, booksellers, literary organizations, libraries, and poets from across the country to celebrate poetry and its vital place in Canada’s culture.

Learn and discover more about past National Poetry Months: