Take Your Poet to Work Day Makes Poetry Fun

Take Your Poet to Work Day is coming!

As part of their 5 Vital Approaches to Poetry for Life, Tweetspeak Poetry sponsors four public days each year that are celebrated worldwide: Poetry at Work Day, Random Acts of Poetry Day, Take Your Poet to Work Day, and Poem on Your Pillow Day.

Across these four public days for poetry, which are designed to invite the poetry-shy to dip into poetry, they’ve seen participation on Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and elsewhere—from Microsoft Lumia, Subway, the Scottish Parliament, NASA, Stephen Colbert, Kimberly Clark, Urban Outfitters, Haribo in Italy (maker of gummi bears), Marmite in South Africa, Subway, Cisco, Playstation, and many others. Ellen DeGeneres and Julia Louis-Dreyfus (“Elaine” from Seinfeld) have played their part, along with major museums like the Smithsonian and the Whitney, bookstores, libraries, and even the London railways.

Regions like Malaysia, Belgium, South Africa, France, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Panama, Canada, India, Argentina, Holland, and more have been involved. Poetry really can be fun, as well as thoughtful, and it can help create a common language (or a common visual language) that creates much-needed connections and positive expressions of our shared humanity.

Take Your Poet to Work Day has been one of the most popular public days for poetry, introducing people to poets who are new to them or providing a chance to fold a much-loved poet into one’s day (or pocket, or bookshelf!).

Take Your Poet to Work Day is a fun celebration that’s easy for anyone to join. It takes place the third Wednesday of each July (in 2017, that’s July 19). You’re cordially invited—along with the poet of your choice!

Resources to Help You Celebrate

Free printable poets coloring book

Poet facts and coloring sheets

Take Your Poet to Work Day poster

Take Your Poet to Work Day Infographic