Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:

To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps were taken by his Department to mark World Poetry Day on 21 March 2018.

The Government is committed to making sure that everyone has the opportunity to experience and participate in all forms of arts and culture including poetry. We continue to support organisations such as the Poetry School and the Poetry Society who aim to promote the recognition and appreciation of poetry. The Poetry Society will have received over £1 million in funding between 2015 and 2018, to help it continue to represent British poetry both nationally and internationally.

A range of events were held across the country to celebrate World Poetry Day on 21 March. For example, Redbridge Library held an open mic session; Brighton & Hove City Libraries tweeted its staff’s favourite poems on the day and Brighton Dome hosted the Emergency Poet and the Poetry Ambulance in Jubilee Square. To provide ongoing support to poetry, Arts Council England has recently given a substantial grant to The Poetry Business to support poets at every stage of their development. This includes a partnership with Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy, who has selected leading emerging poets for promotion under the ‘Laureates Choice’ banner.