National Poetry Day was celebrated in Rangiora with the launch of volume four of Fuego The World Congress of Poets Literary Journal.

The launch was held at the Rangiora Town Hall Cinemas last Friday evening and hosted by Oxford poet Doc Drumheller, who is also editor and publisher of Fuego.

Doc said to him every day was poetry day and although it was disappointing to only have one national day designated to celebrate poetry at least it was better than the 60 minutes designated to celebrate the Earth Hour annually during March.

Fuego Volume Four features established, and emerging writers from New Zealand, poems by primary and high school students across the Waimakariri district, poetry from Kosovo, Afghanistan, and a special feature of haiku by Japan’s leading practitioners of the art form, alongside leading poets from New Zealand and from around the world, Jason said.

The launch featured readings from poets published in Fuego Volume Four which Doc will launch overseas later this year, in Zurich, Switzerland at Punto d’Encuentro on September 22, the 45th World Congress of Poets, from September 25-30 in Pristina, Kosovo, and the 12th World Haiku Association Conference from October 2-4, in Tokyo, Japan.

Jason said he was proud to be presenting work by young writers at the Rangiora launch and internationally.

“These festivals and conferences help enable me to promote the work of our local young writers, and writers from New Zealand, and provide more opportunities for their work to appear alongside leading poets from around the world,” Jason said.