National Poetry Day is a brand that promotes public knowledge, understanding, and enjoyment of poetry in the UK and Ireland. As a charity, their mission is to deepen appreciation of poetry's value, celebrate excellence in poetry, and increase poetry's audience. They achieve this through various programs and initiatives.

One of their main programs is the annual Forward Prizes for Poetry, which recognizes and honors outstanding poetry achievements. They also publish the Forward Book of Poetry, an anthology of the year's best poems. In addition, National Poetry Day is their biggest mass-participation celebration of poetry, encouraging people to enjoy, discover, and share their favorite poems on the first Thursday of October.

National Poetry Day works closely with schools, libraries, and the poetry and literature/literacy sectors to coordinate a national campaign for poetry throughout the year. Their aim is to build a strong UK-wide poetry network that collaborates on marketing, research, digital communications, and education. They are supported by the BBC, Royal Mail, leading publishers, booksellers, and Arts Council England.

In the next five years, National Poetry Day will focus on initiatives that demonstrate poetry's potential for positive social impact. They strive to develop audiences for poetry and create robust evidence of its value. To stay informed about their work and receive updates, you can join their mailing list