New month-long program bins outdated perceptions about poetry

The inaugural 2021 Poetry Month takes to social media and international exchange to update poetry's pedestrian acceptance as vital, diverse and connected to our times.
2021 Poetry Month

An initiative of Red Room Poetry, the inaugural national Poetry Month kicked off this week where you perhaps might least expect – on social media platforms.

While the medium has often been caught up in misplaced and outdated perceptions – fuelled by memories of learned ‘classics’ at school – Anne-Marie Te Whiu says we only need to recall 22-year old National Youth Poet Laureate Amanda Gorman’s delivery for the Inauguration of US President Joe Biden to recognise how vital poetry can be as a medium for our times.

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Gina Fairley is ArtsHub's National Visual Arts Editor. For a decade she worked as a freelance writer and curator across Southeast Asia and was previously the Regional Contributing Editor for Hong Kong based magazines Asian Art News and World Sculpture News. Prior to writing she worked as an arts manager in America and Australia for 14 years, including the regional gallery, biennale and commercial sectors. She is based in Mittagong, regional NSW. Twitter: @ginafairley Instagram: fairleygina