Primary and secondary school students will participate in the Finals of the NALIS National Poetry Day Verse Reading Competition on Wednesday October 15, 2014 at the Audio Visual Room, National Library, Port of Spain.This competition is hosted annually by the Heritage Library in commemoration of World Poetry Day and this year it is being sponsored by Phoenix Park Gas Processors Limited.

Students of the Sacred Heart Boys’ RC; Grant Memorial; Moulton Hall Methodist and Nelson Street Boys’ RC will take the stage from 9:00 am, and in the secondary school category, pupils of Holy Name Convent; ASJA Girls’ College; Servol Life Centre and Belmont Secondary will compete from 1:00 pm.The preliminary round of the competition was held on September 26.

Participants will present the test piece on the 2014 competition’s theme “Nelson Mandela: Freedom Fighter” as well as perform a poem of their choice.
The Poetry Verse Reading Competition seeks to instill an appreciation for poetry among primary and secondary school students while helping to develop their poetry recital skills through friendly competition.

The Heritage Library’s Poetry Day celebrations have taken on numerous forms over the years. The inaugural observance was titled “Poetry Morning, Noon and Night.” This featured the Poetry Verse Reading Competition, an exhibition and an open mike forum, consisting of poetry and spoken word by members of the Writers’ Union, library patrons and members of the general public. Subsequent celebrations also included public lectures and workshops on the development of the poetry art form in Trinidad and Tobago.