Date:

March 1st – May 1st

Online

Love the Words 2021: a global poetry share!

Love the Words is an annual celebration of the power and magic of words, and is part of International Dylan Thomas Day, which takes place on May 14.

This year, Love the Words takes the form of a global haiku share, and everyone who loves words, anywhere in the world, is welcome to take part. This includes poems in other languages and by writers of all ages.

As a share event, rather than a competition, we won’t be selecting winners this year. The hope of Hannah Ellis (Dylan’s grand-daughter and creative director of the day) and Mab Jones (poet and former coordinator of the celebration) is that we all come together at this difficult time to share words, thoughts, and ideas, and give a glimpse into our separate, but still connected, worlds.

Haiku are short, 3 line poems. You may follow the traditional rules of haiku, or break them entirely. Quite often they are ‘snapshots’ of everyday places and events, but point to larger themes such as love, loss, beauty, hope, and the eternal.

To inspire you, we’ve taken a quote from Dylan’s poem The force that through the green fuse drives the flower: “How time has ticked a heaven round the stars”. Please respond to this line in your haiku, however you see fit.

We’d love you to share your haiku on social media using the hashtags #LoveTheWords and #DylanDay. We will re-share, then, for all to read. Alternatively, or in addition, you can email them to us, as Infinity Books UK will once again create a free digital booklet of your poems to release on 14 May. Make sure to use the hashtags so we can find you! We’ll aim to include and to share as many as we can.

Copyright of the poems remains with the authors, although by taking part you grant us permission to share your haiku on our social media, in the e-booklet, and in our publicity relating to Dylan Day and the competition.

When you send your poems to infinitybooksuk@gmail.com, please give your full name, age, country, and name of parent or guardian if under 16. But whether you email, or choose to share your poem on social media, or both, please do so by midnight 1 May if you’d like one of your poems to be included.

You are also welcome to share beyond this date, you are encouraged to share as many poems as you like, and please let’s all take part on the most important day of all: #DylanDay,14 May!