How World Poetry Day was established

The Writers' Society established Poetry Day in 1998, choosing to celebrate March 21st; the first day after the vernal equinox - early spring. In 2001, following a suggestion by the then president of the Society, Vassilis Vasilikos, UNESCO adopted the "World Poetry Day", instructing Greece to organize the first international celebration.

Background: World Poetry Day is celebrated every year on March 21st. The original idea belongs to the poet Michael Mitra, who in the fall of 1997 proposed to the Writers' Society to adopt the celebration of poetry in Greece, as in other countries, and to set a specific day for it.

His presentation was adopted by the then president of the Society Costas Stergiopoulos and the poet Lydia Stefanou proposed March 21 as a day of celebration, the first day after the vernal equinox, which combines light on the one hand and darkness on the other, such as poetry, which combines the bright face of optimism with the dark face of mourning. The first Poetry Day was celebrated in 1998 at the old post office in Kotzia Square and was a great success.

The following year, the author Vassilis Vasilikos, Greece's ambassador to UNESCO, suggested to the Executive Board of the organization that March 21 be declared World Poetry Day, as June 21 is World Music Day. The French, Italians, Tunisians and other ambassadors from Mediterranean countries supported the proposal and the Greek proposal was voted in favor.

In October 1999, at the UNESCO General Conference in Paris, March 21 was declared World Poetry Day. The rationale for the decision stated: "World Poetry Day will enhance the image of poetry in the media, so that poetry is no longer considered a useless art, but an art that helps society find and strengthen its identity. The very popular poetry readings can contribute to a return to the orality and socialization of the live spectacle and the celebrations can be an occasion to strengthen the ties of poetry with the other arts, as well as with Philosophy, in order to redefine its phrase. Delacroix "There is no art without poetry."

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