Last updated 25 August

Here we aim to collate digital poetry events happening in Aotearoa and around the world.

Many digital events use Zoom.

Aotearoa/New Zealand

• Poetry at Your Place – updated with online poetry slams as they arise
• The House is Open: Live from Wellington – every Friday at 8pm (NZT)
• #postitpoems by philandhiscapsicum on Instagram – check out his Insta story! We think this might become a new trend!
• Online book launches on NZ Poetry Shelf with Paula Green – the latest being AUP New Poets 6
• Paula is also behind the Poetry Shelf Poem Festival, which celebrates specific themes each month through poetry.
• The Pantograph Punch have launched an Online Festival – check out their Insta stories for live readings and conversations.
• Stand Up Poetry Open Mic (@actioneducationnz) is looking for teachers, community groups, and poets to connect with. Send them an email at info@actioneducation.co.nz. They are also looking to run weekly livestreams on Wednesday at 7pm NZT. See their social media for more details.
• Poetry Live, a live poetry event including an open mic, is now online (previously at Thirsty Dog Tavern on K Road)! Catch it weekly on Tuesdays at 8pm NZT.
• For writers in Ōtepoti/Dunedin, OWL Writers Lab will be running their upcoming writing sessions online. See their Facebook page for more event details. Registrations are essential.
• The Octagon Poetry Collective (based in Ōtepoti/Dunedin) will be hosting online poetry nights on their regular schedule (8pm NZT; April 22nd, May 20th, June 17th and beyond) for the foreseeable future.
• Bubble Burst Book List: The Booksellers New Zealand Blog is hosting a series of to-read book lists from NZ authors.
• Verb Wellington is hosting eight recordings of poetry from NZ poets in their Poetry Playlist.
• The Coalition for Books is hosting a project called First Chapters, for which publishers have supplied first chapters of a number of new releases by NZ authors, including poets.
• The New Zealand Society of Authors has released 18 days worth of sessions from the National Writers Forum 2018 to benefit New Zealand writers during this lockdown period. Catch the podcasts on their website! #DaysofForumsPast
• Poet Ian Loughran hosts a podcast called ‘All Good Poems Wear Travelling Shoes’. Some incredible NZ poets are featured here, and event details are also shared. You can listen to the episodes here.

World

• Sir Patrick Stewart is reading a Shakespearean sonnet a day on his Instagram.
• The Academy of American Poets has started an initiative called Shelter in Poems, as part of the American National Poetry Month. Shelter in Poems asks members of the community to send in a poem that is helping them through these times, along with a brief description of why they have chosen this poem. Selected poems and accompanying responses are shown on their website, and you can also follow #ShelterInPoems on social media.
• The Academy of American poets has also announced Virtual Programs and 30 Ways to Celebrate National Poetry Month at Home or Online.
• The National Poetry Library has made a list of ezines available for free online.
• Progressive segments of ‘The Rime of the Ancient Mariner’ by Coleridge are being read daily by a range of prominent characters. Each reading is accompanied by an artwork. You can listen to the readings here.
• @kilhapoetry has a publishing opportunity – if you have a story about your poetic journey you can share it with them for possible inclusion in a book. They have also started a global chain poem…find more details on their Instagram page.
• In honour of Kamau Brathwaite, @KamauRemix is posting his work, read by writers and academics, from May 11th (the day Brathwaite was born) to June 19th (Juneteenth) #40nightsofTheVoice.
• Based out of the US, Words Out Loud is an ongoing reading series held on the first Friday of the month, at 7.30pm US Eastern Time. The hosts are hoping for some Kiwi attendees! Email Phil Wexler at philipwexler@msn.com to obtain the Zoom details for the meetings, or to join the mailing list.
• Australia-based That Poetry Zoom occurs in cyberspace at 6.30pm UTC+10 on Mondays.
• Over the Edge is a literary organization based in Galway that hosts open readings.

If you know of any more digital poetry events, please comment on this post or send info to social@poetrysociety.org.nz.