To celebrate National Poetry Day, Te Kōputu a te whanga a Toi – the Whakatāne Library and Exhibition Centre – will host a poetry evening from 5:30 – 7:00 pm on Thursday, 21 August 2014.

Anneke Philps, Public Programmes Officer at the Centre, says the evening will be a relaxed and informal opportunity for people to rediscover the joy of poetry. “It’s all about taking some time out of our busy lives, sitting back and listening to poems, and letting the imagination unfurl images to accompany the spoken words,” Ms Philps says.

Anyone interested in reading a poem of their choice, either their own work or of a favourite poet, should contact the Centre to reserve a spot by calling 07 306 0509 or emailing Library@whakatane.govt.nz.