The League of Canadian Poets and the Academy of American Poets Team Up to Celebrate Poem In Your Pocket Day Across North America

As a special collaboration for this year’s National Poetry Month in April, the leading membership-based poetry organizations that sponsor the month in Canada and the United States—the League of Canadian Poets and the Academy of American Poets—have created a guide for families, schools, and businesses to inspire and assist with local Poem in Your Pocket Day celebrations. The guide features poems by contemporary Canadian and U.S. poets.

Poem in Your Pocket Day, a special day during National Poetry Month, will be held on April 21, 2016. On this day each year, people celebrate by selecting a poem, carrying it with them, and sharing it with others. Poem in Your Pocket Day was initiated in 2002 by the Office of the Mayor in New York City, in partnership with that city’s Departments of Cultural Affairs and Education. In 2008, the Academy of American Poets took the initiative to all fifty United States, encouraging individuals around the country to join in and channel their inner bard. In 2016, the League of Canadian Poets will extend Poem in Your Pocket Day to Canada.

“We’re thrilled to be working with the League of Canadian Poets this April to promote contemporary poets and poetry in both our countries and across borders. Seeing as we both introduced and organize National Poetry Month, collaboration makes sense,” said Jennifer Benka, Executive Director of the Academy of American Poets. You can find the free Poem in Your Pocket Day guide and more information at poets.ca/pocketpoem.

Find more information on National Poetry Month at poets.ca/npm.

It’s easy to carry a poem, share a poem, or start your own Poem in Your Pocket Day event. Here are some ideas to help get you started:

• Start a “poems for pockets” giveaway in your school or workplace
• Urge local businesses to offer discounts for those carrying poems
• Post pocket-sized verses in public places
• Memorize a poem
• Start a street team to pass out poems in your community
• Distribute bookmarks with your favorite lines of poetry
• Add a poem to your email footer
• Post lines from your favorite poem on your Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, or Tumblr
• Send a poem to a friend

About the Academy of American Poets

The Academy of American Poets is the largest membership-based nonprofit organization fostering an appreciation for contemporary poetry and supporting American poets. The organization produces Poets.org, one of the world’s most popular websites for poets and poetry; National Poetry Month; the popular Poem-a-Day series; American Poets magazine; resources for K-12 educators; an annual series of poetry readings and special events; and awards the American Poets Prizes.

About the League of Canadian Poets

The League of Canadian Poets is the professional organization for established and emerging Canadian poets. Founded in 1966 to nurture the advancement of poetry in Canada, and the promotion of the interests of poets. The League serves the poetry community and promotes a high level of professional achievement through events, networking, projects, publications, mentoring and awards. It administers programs and funds for governments and private donors and encourages an appreciative readership and audience for poetry through educational partnerships and presentations to diverse groups. As the recognized voice of Canadian poets, it represents their concerns to governments, publishers, and society at large, and maintains connections with similar organizations at home and abroad. The League strives to promote equal opportunities for poets from every literary tradition and cultural and demographic background. For more information about the League of Canadian Poets, visit poets.ca.