So today's one of my favourite days of the year - National Poetry Day! I love poetry and find it both soothing and uplifting. I've been running a poetry event on the Write Path ning today with poems started by fantastic poets/writers - Tony Walsh, Tommy Donbavand, Andy Robb, Dom Conlon, Stephen Williams and Matt Windle and I can't thank them enough for their generous contributions. Our participants are always amazing but I think this year has been the absolute best, a couple of the continuations even caused me to shed a tear. Do read them , the talent shown by our young poets will amaze and delight you I'm sure. I hope you've all had a great Poetry Day, here's a video from one of our contributors, Tony Walsh to end your day with a smile:

No time for reading today sadly but I have listened to a story which is always a joy ;-) The Night Before Christmas read by friends of the Royal Albert Hall, including Jools Holland, Billy Bragg, members of Cirque Du Soleil and .....Father Christmas of course! The video is a real festive treat and full credits can be found on the RAH website. What a wonderful present from one of my favourite venues - I shall be there next week to enjoy carols with Aled Jones!


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It's one of my favourite days of the year - National Poetry Day! To celebrate on the Write Path international collaborative writing project we will be working on collaborative poems on Poetry Day theme of Remember. We have fantastic starter stanzas from Tommy Donbavand, Eleanor Updale, Graham Marks, Jane Prowse, Lucy Coats & Dave Cryer, looking forward to seeing how our brilliant young writers continue them. I love poetry but probably didn't make enough time for it in the past but I have read & listened to much more this year thanks to some fantastic poetry apps:
1. My favourite poetry app has to The Love Book , a wonderful collection of romantic poetry with recordings of the poems from fab actors e.g. Helena Bonham Carter and Emma Watson. You can record your own readings of the poems too but honestly I spend most time on the recordings made by Tom Hiddleston, sigh! 
2. I have to say I've never been a particular fan of Shakespeare (closes ears to shocked intakes of breath all over the place!) but the Sonnets app is beautifully produced and has helped me to feel warmer towards the bard. The app certainly isn't cheap but it can now be purchased as an app bundle with two other excellent apps, The Waste Land & Seamus Heaney:Five Fables and you do get a lot of bang for your buck. Within the app you have a reproduction of the first published edition of the Sonnets, Arden Shakepeare's complete notes , perspectives & performances of all 154 sonnets by well know names such as Patrick Stewart & David Tennant (yes, Dr Who reading Shakespeare, what's not to like?!).
3. To This Day from Moving Tales is a thing of beauty, which is no surprise because all of their apps are fab. It is a collaborative animation of this poem written and performed by Shane Koyczan. A very moving poem about bullying & depression, the animations add to the power of the reading and make this a fully immersive experience. The audio narration is in English but you can change the language of the text to French or Spanish if you prefer.
4. Poetry Station is the app version of a fantastic website packed with videos of authors reading their own poems. The app is similarly full with amazing poetry and you can browse by poems, poets or topics. You will need a network connection for this one, I particularly love the Michael Rosen videos. Only slight irritation I have with the app is the constant change from portrait to landscape but this doesn't mar the content.
5. I am a lover of war poetry and Wilfred Owen is one of my favourite poets so Owen had a headstart with me. There are thirty five poems on this app with audio narration, illustrations and video academic critiques along with an introduction from Owen's nephew, Peter.
6. Last but by no means least Penguin's Poems by Heart does what it says on the tin - allows you to memorise poetry. It includes poems from poets such as Edgar Allan Poe & Emily Dickinson & uses brain training methods to help make memorising easier and fun. You gain achievements & high scores along the way and each poem features original art and 2 readings.

Happy Poetry Day everyone, enjoy the rhyme time!

It is National Poetry Day today and this year's theme is water. On the Write Path ning we will be working collaboratively to continue and finish poems on the theme started for us by Anthony McGowan, Dave Cryer, Jane Prowse, Tommy Donbavand and David Orme. As I write Garden International School in Kuala Lumpur have already had their turn and shortly the first of our 6 UK schools will be putting some rhymes together.  Hopefully I will find some time during the day to listen to, read or write some poetry using my favourite apps:

Poetry - This app from the Poetry Foundation has a plethora of poems, some with recordings - I can recommend  Almost Ashore by Gerald Vizenor 
Chasing Fireflies - Beautiful haiku app with gorgeous artwork and sounds, I love the rain and storm sounds as you move through the seasons
Instant poetry - Fridge magnet poetry you create using provided words backed with your own pictures 
If  Poems -  Good selection and the title poem read aloud by Bill Nighy is a real treat although you may prefer Sea Fever to tie in with the poetry day theme
City Poems - Walking around London is one of my favourite things to do and navigating via poetry gives a novel twist to your perambulations
Shakespeare's Sonnets - Wonderful performances, great to dip in and out of

Have a wonderful National Poetry - I'm sure I will!