Dunedin UNESCO City of Literature was delighted to take part in a virtual exhibition curated by Manchester UNESCO City of Literature, timed to coincide with World Poetry Day 2021 and the upcoming opening of the new Manchester Poetry Library.

World Poetry Day celebrates poetry as a form of cultural expression. Poems can speak to our common humanity and be a powerful catalyst for comfort and peace. UNESCO first adopted 21 March as World Poetry Day during its 30th General Conference in Paris in 1999, with the aim of supporting linguistic diversity through poetic expression and increasing the opportunity for endangered languages to be heard. World Poetry Day is an occasion to honour poets, celebrate oral traditions, promote the reading, writing and teaching of poetry, and foster collaborations with other art forms.

Manchester UNESCO City of Literature and the Manchester Poetry Library invited the other Cities of Literature to contribute to the online exhibition by sending images and poetry. Dunedin was proud to showcase two poems by Peter Olds, ‘Nostalgic’ and ‘On Writing’. These are being exhibited online with corresponding photographs of Dunedin and later in the year will be part of a virtual tour of the city. Dunedin UNESCO City of Literature also donated copies of its own book A Town trod by Poets, by Roger Hickin with Poetry and Photographs by Peter Olds, for inclusion in the new library’s permanent collection.

https://poetrycities.co.uk/