Poetry crosses all boundaries, including age, gender, ethnicity and culture. […]

Again, our annual celebration of poetry has broken all records, with more than 150 events and competitions scheduled to take place nationwide. Expect #NZPoetryDay to trend on Twitter and people to greet each other in the streets saying, happy poetry day.'

Held every year on the fourth Friday in August, Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day unites poetry fans from all over Aotearoa in an action-packed programme of poetry slams and rap, open mic and spoken word performances, pop-up events, book launches, readings and competitions.

This year's celebration will be visible in communities all over Aotearoa – from pavements and public transport to parks, beaches, cafés, bars, bookshops, schools, university campuses, libraries, RSAs, community centres, marae and more. Many of the programmed events will be open to the public and free to enjoy. […]

Established in 1997, National Poetry Day is a popular fixture on the nation's cultural calendar and one that celebrates discovery, diversity and community.

The Speech Awards […] are a platform for senior high school students to express their ideas on how we can improve race relations in Aotearoa¹. The Speech Awards give eloquent and thoughtful young people a chance to speak their minds and give the rest of New Zealand a chance to listen to the leaders of tomorrow. The Speech Awards are held in support of Race Relations Day.