Andrews McMeel Publishing celebrates National Poetry Month

“Poetry is the lifeblood of rebellion, revolution, and the raising of consciousness,” a line from prolific poet Alice Walker, is the battle cry Andrews McMeel Publishing has adopted for its campaign to celebrate National Poetry Month.

The Academy of American Poets introduced National Poetry Month in April 1996 to celebrate the achievement of American poets and to encourage the publication, support, and reading of poetry. Since then, National Poetry Month has become the largest literary celebration in the world and is vital to the modern poetry movement. This April, schools, publishers, libraries, booksellers, and poets will laud the genre, which is honest, transparent, diverse, addresses social issues, encourages self-love, and gives people a safe space to explore and share experiences.

Andrews McMeel Publishing (AMP) is a key player in bringing fresh, new poets’ voices to the world—poets like Rupi Kaur, Najwa Zebian, r.h. Sin, Amanda Lovelace, and Courtney Peppernell, who have redefined and broken the barrier of what poetry can be, mean, and represent. Young people—especially women—are turning to poetry more than ever as a means of expression, exploration, and resistance, as demonstrated by the signs displaying Rupi Kaur and Amanda Lovelace’s poems at women’s marches.

As the recognized poetry leader, AMP has big plans to celebrate National Poetry Month in 2018, including:

  • Partnering with independent booksellers and Barnes & Noble college stores to provide promotional materials, much of it featuring Alice Walker’s quote, that celebrate the power of poetry.
  • A “Poem a Day” campaign on our Instagram Story, showcasing our diverse stable of poets and engaging with fans through questions like “What does poetry mean to you?”
  • Signed books and merchandise giveaways from Reyna Biddy, Tyler Kent White, Amanda Lovelace, and Orion Carloto.
  • Renewing our commitment to poets.org, the leading advocate and supporter of poetry around the world, to promote AMP poets and their work.

This April, you are invited to pick up a book of poems—pause, reflect, and uncover the power of poetry. Happy National Poetry Month!