National Poetry Day - 2nd October
12th September 2025
Love poetry but don’t have time to browse right now? Fear not, the team behind National Poetry Day have taken the work off your hands with this brilliant new selection of poetry recommendations for adults and kids alike. So you spend less time looking, and get more time reading!
Browse below to purchase any recommended title and help raise vital funds for our schools. Buy a Book. Support a School. Make a Difference.
Let’s start with the Adult category. Rich, thoughtful, and full of insight, these books are perfect for reading groups, poetry fans, or anyone looking to be moved and inspired by modern poetry in the UK today.
Adult
Versus Versus
Boast, Rachael
Paperback / softback
A vibrant anthology featuring poems by 100 deaf, disabled, and neurodivergent poets. that brings together a wide range of poetic voices, Versus Versus both challenges misrepresentations while exploring love, pain, solidarity,the climate emergency, and much more.
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New Cemetery
Armitage, Simon
Hardback
UK’s Poet Laureate makes peace with the dead in this highly imaginative and wide-ranging new collection as he reflects on a graveyard, exploring personal loss, nature’s shifts, and lockdown’s impact through luminous, wry poems rooted in landscape.
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The Face in the Well
Watts, Rebecca
Paperback / softback
This third collection from award-winning poet Rebecca Watts explores childhood, desire, conflict, and the self with vibrant, witty poetry. Challenging the male poetic canon, it weaves homages to female role models like Sylvia Plath and Emily Brontë with beautiful poems that confront love, war, mortality, and complex human relationships.
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The Forward Book of Poetry 2026
Poets, Various
Paperback / softback
A must-have for poetry lovers, this annual anthology gathers the most outstanding contemporary poems from across the UK and Ireland.
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A Poem for Every Question
Bilston, Brian
Hardback
Say hello to a hilarious, non-fiction adventure in 100 poems—covering everything from science and animals to unicorns, pyramids, technology, and more! Brian’s witty, memorable poems answer curious questions with wit and heart, each paired with fun fact-explainers. Vibrant illustrations by Joe Berger bring every page to life.
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Harriet Tubman, Force of Nature
Brewer, Caroline (Author)
Hardback
Say hello to a powerful, poetic journey through the true story of Harriet Tubman—freedom fighter, forest-walker, and fearless leader. With vibrant collage and dazzling verse, Caroline Brewer shows how Harriet’s bond with nature and unbreakable spirit helped her escape slavery and guide hundreds to freedom. History comes alive—one bold, beautiful line at a time!
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And I Hear Dragons
Issa, Hanan (Author)
Paperback / softback
Issa, the National Poet of Wales, celebrates the rich Welsh history of poetry with this marvellous anthology for ages 8–12. Illustrated by Eric Heyman, it celebrates Welsh children as brave “mythical beasts,” tackling discrimination, pollution, and identity while embracing Wales’ spirit of hospitality.
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World of Wild: Off They Go!
Carter, James
Paperback / softback
Join a fun, rhyming exploration of nature’s most fascinating migrations—from emperor penguins and leatherback turtles to salmon and humpback whales. Carter’s lively verse blends poetry and fact, with Latin names, locations, and fascinating migration details. James Munro’s playful illustrations make this poetic journey perfect for ages 3–7.
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Pocket Book of Pocket Poems
Harrold, A.F.
Paperback / softback
Carnegie-nominated poet A.F. Harrold brings you a pocket-sized treasure of laugh-out-loud poems—each under 60 words. Perfect for ages 8+, these silly, imaginative verses cover school shenanigans, hens laying coconuts, and more. Jack Viant’s lively illustrations make this a perfectly portable poetry collection to read anywhere, anytime.
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Press Start to Play
Gayton, Sam
Paperback / softback
Carnegie-nominated author Sam Gayton delivers a hilarious, interactive poetry collection celebrating play—video games, board games, word games, even “feeling sad” games. Packed with inventive poems and Jack Noel’s energetic illustrations (plus a flicker-book twist), this is the ultimate poetry adventure for gamers and word lovers alike.
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This Is Not A Small Voice
Todd, Traci N.
Hardback
A landmark anthology—the first UK multi-poet collection by Black poets for children. Featuring works from Lucille Clifton, Langston Hughes, Maya Angelou, Amanda Gorman, Benjamin Zephaniah, and more, this vibrant, illustrated book celebrates hope, pride, music, and family. A timeless gift for readers aged 7+.
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I Hear The Trees
Weil, Zaro
Paperback / softback
Step into a vibrant world of over 60 nature poems, where wolves howl, berries bamboozle, beets shine ruby-bright, and tiny haiku mice dash for safety. Zaro Weil’s playful, lyrical verses celebrate Earth’s wonders, brought to life by Junli Song’s enchanting illustrations. With activity notes to spark young poets, this collection captures the magic, humour, and heart of the natural world.
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