National Poetry Day

by Ralph Cutting
28th September 2017

This is less a question, more an observation. Today's seminal 'event' seems to me, and I am sure I am not alone, to be an unknown known at best and in reality an unknown unknown, in the sense that unless one is actively searching, via Google or the poetry press (if the latter exists) for said literary red-letter day, then it is only by hazard that one discovers , in my case, having opened one of the free dailies that are available at rail stations, the Day is today.

As there isn't an Academie de Beaux Arts in Britain, and the State, frankly, does not appear to be as enthusiastic about 'les lettres' as the French, I was wondering which organisation(s) are responsible for publicity, or rather lack of it, of this 'event'. Though it is true that one should be professional about one's writing, despite having to endure hectic daily and domestic life - especially if others in one's household are not literary- it would be helpful if the unknown knowns/unknowns are carved in stone.

Even as I write regularly my seminal page (under another page,not W&A) under my pseudonym, I cannot help but surmise that red-letter day literary events pass one by not through mere ignorance thereof, but rather, they are not given sufficient publicity.

How should P-Day be announced? Daily 'messages personnels' announced on the BBC, preceded by the dot-dot-dot-dash opening notes of Beethoven's fifth, followed by 'Ici Londres' then a line of verse? Perhaps that wouldn't be a bad idea.

Once again, I am sure I am not alone in having almost 'missed' P-Day? As for 'events' for the Day, I am not aware of any, for reasons already stated. To refer to it as an 'event' seems inapt. It is also unhelpful to hold such a day in the middle of political party conference season; hardly conducive to culture and 'lettres'.

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