The Prince of Wales launched Natonal Poetry Day today by reading Seamus Heaney's poem 'The Shipping Forecast' on BBC Radio 4's Today programme. In addition, 40 BBC local radio stations commissioned 40 poets to celebrate English landmarks in verse.

The theme of this year’s National Poetry Day is "messages" -  and here is a flavour of the many poetry events around the country today.

For a start, there will be a marathon 12 hours of poetry in the spoken word hotspot of Hull, 2017’s City of Culture. The all-day event will have two stages, one starting at 10am at Kardomah94 at Alfred Gelder Street, and will feature performances from Argy Bargy Poets, Wrecking Ball Press, Shoulder to Shoulder, A Carload of Poets, Women of Words, Muse, Fresh Ink, Butterlflies, Act 111, Subtle Flame, 2017 Volunteers, Pub Corner Poets, Mucking Fuddles, Hull Spoken Word, Central Library Writers, Imaginary Gardens, Freedom Poets, the History Troupe, Artful Codgers, and probably more. Then from 7.30 at the Kardomah there is a performance poets night starting at 7.30pm with special guests Louise Fazackerley, Toria Garbutt, and Stan Skinny. Hosted by Ian Winter and Vicky Foster. The second stage is at Hull Central Library from 1-4pm. More details and Map

Write Out Loud is doing its bit, with a contingent led by founder Julian Jordon bringing a taste of its famous Marsden jazz festival poetry jam to an Ilkley literature festival open mic afternoon, starting at 1.45pm. The host will be apprentice poet in residence Mark Pajak, and it’s at Ilkley Moor Vaults, in Stockeld Road. More details and Map. Later in the day at nearby Otley around 30 poets will be reading at the launch of an anthology about pubs at the Horse and Farrier pub, on Bridge Street. The readings, compered by Otley’s own “town poet”, Matthew Hedley Stoppard, begin at 7.30pm. More details and Map

In Bradford poets from all corners of the city will make their debut on the Big Screen in City Park with a series of readings set to film. A few weeks ago readers young and old came forward to a special filmed session hosted by Bradford Libraries where they recited  both old favourites and their own work. These films will be screened all day on Thursday on Bradford’s Big Screen - and you can also see them here. 

Leading poetry publisher Carcanet will be staging the second in its series of Archive Hour talks at John Rylands library, Manchester. Nicolas Barker, former head of conservation at the British Library, will draw upon his recent Carcanet book, Visible Voices, in tracing the development of poetry from the ancient pictograms of the Near East to medieval European manuscripts, the innovations of modernism and beyond. The event is free, and starts at 6pm.

In Birmingham the city’s former poet laureate, Roy McFarlane, and renowned Jamaican poet Jean ‘Binta’ Breeze will kick off Birmingham’s literature festival, at the Library of Birmingham’s Studio Theatre at 7.30pm. Birmingham’s two new poets laureate will also be announced during  the evening.

In Aberdeen poets are invited to join others in writing autumn-inspired poems in a workshop led by local poet and artist Petra Vergunst, at Seventeen, Belmont Street, Aberdeen. 

The Emergency Poet, Deborah Alma, will be launching her new anthology, The Everyday Poet – Poems to Live By, at Oswestry library in Shropshire at 7.30pm.  Worcestershire’s poet laureate, Suz Winspear, will be joined by a selection of the county’s best performers at Berkeley Almshouse Chapel, The Foregate, Worcester. It’s also at 7.30pm. Haslemere’s bookshop in Surrey is inviting people to come along with poems on the theme at an informal event upstairs at the bookshop, starting at 8pm.

Meanwhile it’s National Poetry Day Live at the Royal Festival Hall on the Southbank Centre in London, with a bill that includes Rob Auton, Salena Godden, Luke Kennard, Fran Lock, Hannah Lowe, Sabrina Mahfouz, Ian McMillan, Simon Mole, Cheryl Moskowitz and Hannah Silva – plus poet and singer-songwriter PJ Harvey. The event, which starts at 1pm and goes on into the evening, is free.

You can find many more events on the National Poetry Day map, as well as on Write Out Loud’s own Gig Guide. Event organisers – make sure you’re listed there!