Poetry competitions are a wonderful way to encourage people of all ages to write, share their creativity and celebrate National Poetry Day. Whether your competition is for a school, library, community, region or the whole country, it can inspire new voices and bring people together through poetry.

The 2026 Guidelines Pack is still available and includes practical advice on planning, promoting and running a successful poetry competition.

Registrations for National Poetry Day 2026 have now closed. Thank you to everyone who registered a competition this year. Visit our Competition Calendar to discover the inspiring competitions taking place across Aotearoa.