DEN POEZIE – POETRY DAY IN THE CZECH REPUBLIC

• Den poezie is an annual international and multicultural poetry festival held for two weeks every November around the birth anniversary (16.11.1810) of the great Czech Romantic poet, K.H. Mácha. It is the most widespread poetry event in the country with events now taking place in around over fifty Czech cities, towns and villages. Almost all the events are free. This year’s Den poezie runs from 9^th – 22^nd November and its theme is Můj dopis světu /My letter to the World, inspired by the poem by Emily Dickinson (1830-1886).
• In the 2026 programme there are 2 events in English, and another event that welcomes contributions in all languages. All the events are free: –
• On Wednesday 11th November at 7.30 pm in the café L’ Objet trouvé at Šternberkova 11, Prague 7, there is a reading in English – “This is my letter to the World“ – with the poets Stephan Delbos (USA), Sylva Fischerová (Czech Republic) and Ger Reidy (Ireland). There will also be a short open mic at the end of the evening for audience members who would like to share their ‘letter to the world’.
• On Saturday 21st November at 10 am there is a walk in Prague in English – ‘Prague Through the Eyes of its Poets’ – conducted by American journalist, poet, and professional guide, Lyn Davidson. The walk lasts for approximately two hours and explores the places associated with many of the poets who have lived in or loved Prague over its long history (including Jaroslav Seifert (Nobel Prize 1984), Karel Hynek Mácha (the Czech Byron), Jiří Orten (tragically killed by the Nazis at age 22), Vítězslav Nezval, Egon Bondy, Viola Fischerová, Vladimir Holan, Karel Kryl, and Ivan Martin Jirous (“Magor”), as well as foreign poets like Andre Breton and Allen Ginsburg, on whom the city also left its mark. The walk begins near Charles Bridge on the Malá strana side, in front of the Hotel U tří pštrosů, Dražického náměstí 76/12, Praha 1.
• On Monday 16^th November there is a traditional gathering at the statue of K. H. Mácha on Petřin Hill in Prague at 7.30 pm. People gather to read their poems and drink a toast to the poet, whose birthday falls on 16th November. All are welcome to this informal moonlit event and can read their poetry in any language.
• Some background about the festival
• Den poezie first took place on just one day in 1999 and marked the launch of a Poezie pro cestujíci (Poetry on the Metro) project initiated by the festival founder, the Literary and Cultural Club 8 (Renata Bulvová and Bernie Higgins). The festival is now coordinated by the Poetry Society (Společnost poezie), a small group of people involved in literature/teaching who work as volunteers to organise events and promote interest in poetry. Year by year, the length of the festival extended, as more and more organisations and towns participated, until it reached its current two-week duration.
• As well as readings by well-known Czech poets, such as Kateřina Rudčenková, Sylva Fischerová, Petr Borkovec etc, thanks to the support of various foreign cultural institutes the festival has also featured leading poets from abroad, e.g. from Slovakia, Poland, Germany, Romania, Slovenia, Hungary, Iceland, the Netherlands, France, Spain, Ireland, the UK and many other countries. The festival also celebrates poetry from the Czech Republic in languages other than Czech, e.g. in Lusatian and Romani. Apart from one or two events in English, all readings are in Czech or in another language with Czech translation.
• Events are organised by schools, libraries, universities, literary groups, clubs, theatres, museums and individuals as well as by the main coordinators of the festival, Společnost poezie, who organise a central programme and coordinate publicity for all the national events. The regional reach of Den poezie is important and the festival aims to inspire the widest possible involvement, encouraging the celebration of poetry in many forms – not only through readings, but through music, theatre, art, film and ‘happenings’. We consider one of the festival’s strengths to be its range of participation, from well-known, published Czech and foreign poets to schoolchildren learning to enjoy and create poetry for the first time.
• In 2016, the festival saw the launch of a new project, Poezie pro čekajíci (Poetry for People Waiting). It involves providing poetry brochures to places where people wait (hospitals, official offices etc.), This complements our long-term project Poezie pro cestující (Poetry for Travellers) that places poems on public transport (this year the focus is on public transport in Liberec/Jablonec). The festival also distributes poetry on free bookmarks and postcards to libraries, schools etc. The festival also works with Praha město literatury on projects such as ‘Poet of the City of Prague’ in order to promote poetry activities in the city.
• The Poetry Day festival is mainly supported by the State Fund for culture, the Czech Literary Fund (CLF), and the Prague Town Hall. In 2026 Prague 2 town hall is also supporting the festival events in their area. Foreign cultural institutes in the Czech Republic give support by sponsoring the participation of poets from their countries. A number of smaller organisations support us mainly through providing publicity. The festival also receives good press coverage, in local and national newspapers, radio and television. 

CONTACT INFORMATION

Organiser website: www.spolecnostpoezie.cz
Facebook: www.facebook.com/denpoezie
Twitter: @denpoezie
Instagram: www.instagram.com/de,npoezie

Email: denpoezie@gmail.com