Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day reveals phenomenal line-up of events for its 25ᵗʰ year

Aotearoa’s favourite annual poetry fixture, Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day, turns 25 this year, and to celebrate poetry fans from around the motu have organised a plethora of exciting events for the big day on 26 August 2022.

Announcing the 2022 calendar today, poet and New Zealand Book Awards Trust spokesperson Richard Pamatatau says, ‘There is so much to get excited about this year with an amazing line-up of well over 100 events planned nationwide.

We’re thrilled to see a record number of schools and student groups participating, and we look forward to being inspired by new voices and a new generation of poets in the making!’

Poetry will hit the streets, appearing on beaches, on pavements and on public transport. Festivals, bookshops, marae, universities, hospitals and libraries will all be hosting events such as book launches, poetry slams, readings, workshops, open mic nights, and performances. And poets participating will range from rangatahi to some of the country’s most established and familiar voices.

The country’s new Poet Laureate will also be announced by The National Library of New Zealand Te Puna Mātauranga o Aotearoa on Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day on 26 August.

There will be plenty of opportunities for poets to put pen to paper in the many competitions that are happening both in the lead up to, and on Friday 26th August across the country. Competitions will run online, at schools, libraries, and even on the sand at Orewa Beach. To find out more and enter these competitions, visit the full Competition Calendar.

This year also marks a special milestone for National Poetry Day’s steadfast sponsor, Phantom Billstickers. ‘2022 is a significant year for us as we celebrate our 40th birthday,’ says Phantom CEO Robin McDonnell.

‘To share this with National Poetry Day as it marks its 25th anniversary is even more special. As huge supporters of the creative arts in this country, we are thrilled to be a part of this much-loved event.'

‘Poetry should be as much a part of our daily lives as sport is, or politics, or the weather forecast, or gossip about celebrities.

As communal and skill-affirming as sport, as urgent and necessary as politics, as relevant and helpful as the weather, as fun and sneaky and silly as celebrity gossip.

Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day is a celebration of this artform that belongs to all of us, and street poetry reinforces that. What better use could there be for a billboard? Poetry to the people!’

– Joanna Preston, winner of the Mary and Peter Biggs Award for Poetry and the 2022 Ockham New Zealand Book Awards

The full programme of Phantom Billstickers National Poetry Day events can be found on the website.