National Poetry Day 3 Oct 2024

National Poetry Day

Today, a lyrical wave sweeps the United Kingdom—it"s National Poetry Day. A tradition since 1994, it unites people from bustling cities to serene lochs in a celebration of verse on the first Thursday of every October. Founded by William Sieghart, this event aims to make poetry more visible and engaging. It"s a day when Prince Charles might recite Seamus Heaney, and train announcement boards become stanzas of TS Eliot and Auden. Everyday spaces transform into stages for the spoken word—a railway station or supermarket might suddenly echo with an epic. This year the special day focuses on the theme of "counting." So today, our image of Loch Morlich in Cairngorms National Park, Scotland provides the perfect backdrop for finding poetic inspiration. Why not let poetry alight upon your day?

© Arterra/Universal Images Group/Getty Images

palette

Today in History

A future built on the past
3 Oct 2023Whitehaven Beach, Whitsunday Islands, Australia
3 Oct 2025Glen Brittle, Isle of Skye, Scotland

More Desktop Wallpapers:

Dad on duty
29 Jul 2025International Tiger Day
31 Dec 2025Hogmanay
15 Apr 2025World Art Day
21 Jan 2026Squirrel Appreciation Day
13 Aug 2024Telašćica Nature Park, Dugi Otok, Croatia
21 Jul 2025The summer opening of Buckingham Palace
Who uses this grassy bridge?
12 May 2025An iris garden in Tokyo, Japan
21 Jan 2024Squirrel Appreciation Day
1 Nov 2024Vineyards in Varnhalt, Black Forest, Germany
18 Nov 2023Polar bear season in Manitoba
All going swimmingly
Want to hang about?
22 Sep 2025Autumn equinox
The bears and the bees…
23 Nov 2023Teide National Park, Tenerife, Canary Islands, Spain
16 Sep 2024Wallabies, Australia
3 Oct 2024National Poetry Day
On a dark and stormy night...
15 Nov 2024Yi Peng lantern festival, Chiang Mai, Thailand
27 Apr 2025London Marathon
10 Feb 2024South Downs Dark Skies Festival
The glowing winter
21 Nov 2025World Hello Day
18 Nov 2024Porthcawl lighthouse, Wales
23 Aug 2025European fallow deer in England
25 Feb 2025Bryce Canyon National Park, Utah, United States
Huddled and hunting
Where is this hidden waterfall?