Poet Laureate leads protest against prison book rules
Writers and actors opposed to new rules stopping people sending books to inmates have held a protest outside Pentonville Prison in north London. Poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy joined demonstrators including actress Vanessa Redgrave. Read more
Russian poetry-lover stabs prose champion
A drunken row over the merits of literary forms in Russia ended in a poetry-lover stabbing a champion of prose to death, investigators say. Read more
21 March – World Poetry Day
A decision to proclaim 21 March as World Poetry Day was adopted during UNESCO’s 30th session held in Paris in 1999.
One of the main objectives of the Day is to support linguistic diversity through poetic expression and to offer endangered languages the opportunity to be heard within their communities. Read more
Saudis ban books, including by Palestinians, at fair
Confiscated titles include works by ex-Israeli MK Azmi Bishara, and poet Mahmoud Darwish for ‘blasphemous passages’. Read more