The Spring of the Poets
Designed by Jack Lang and created in 1999 by Emmanuel Hoog and André Velter to counter misconceptions and manifest the extreme vitality of poetry, Le Printemps des Poètes has become a major event, which transmits the month of March into a vast chamber of poetic echo. This year, it invites participants in France and around the world to question Les Frontières, entitled of this 25th edition from 11 to 27 March 2023, on a poster by JR.
#GetTalks - March 11-27, 2023
“It is vital that the language of poets continues to pulsate in each of us” said Sophie Nauleau, artistic director of the Printemps des poètes event since 2018.
Events all over France and the world
Every year, Le Printemps des Poètes gives all the space to the voice of poets in March, and brings tens of thousands of organizers under the effect of a single word becoming the title of the edition that runs over a fortnight.
Thus were celebrated L'Ardeur in 2018, Beauty in 2019, Courage in 2020, with premonition, Desire in 2021 and Ephemeral in 2022. 2023 is coming to question the Frontiers.
The Spring of the Poets reinvents a vast and unique program each year, giving to see the extreme diversity of the poetic and editorial landscape, and offers many tools for organizers, teachers and the general public: bibliographies, quotations, action directories, online agenda, poetics... as well as daily poetic inspirations on its social networks and website.
Everyone is then invited to seize all this in order to create all kinds of events all over France and the world. Many countries are taking part in this festive fortnight, the China at Canada through the Morocco or the Romania.
These events can take many forms: musical readings, shows, meetings, poetic walks, workshops, exhibitions, calls for texts and poetry competitions... And are referenced on the printofspoetes.com
The Spring of the Poets is also the time of the year when publishers give pride of place to poetry: the pace of redoubled publication, novelties, magazines or anthologies appear and are then particularly highlighted by the media. Bookstores and libraries also play an important role in this book’s momentum, accompanied by numerous posters, postcards and bookmarks.
Poetry in classrooms around the world
The Spring of the Poets has always had a great echo in schools and in all structures welcoming young people (media centres, medical establishments, associations...).
Thus, thousands of teachers of all levels organize activities, readings and contests for their pupils around poetry and poets.
Since 2020, Le Printemps des Poètes has been offering teachers the opportunity to join L'Opération Coudrier, dubbed in tribute to Marie de France’s “Lai du chèvrefeuille” hazel branch, which combines an assertive poetic requirement with an increasingly widespread deployment.
Discover Operation Duvet on the dedicated page.
Off-season
Continuing its annual edition, Le Printemps des Poètes has an activity throughout the year. The forms vary according to the partnerships and the places (readings, meetings, workshops, residencies, selection of works, prizes, new creations, poetic poster campaigns in public transport, etc.).
The Andrée Chedid Award for Sung Poem proposes to the members of the SACEM to put to music a poem designated, rewarding the winner with a financial endowment and a spotlight at the Francofolies de La Rochelle.
To find out more
All other information can be found on the site of the spring of poets.
To participate
Organizers, find all the information and register your events on the dedicated space.
Find the posters and emblem of the Spring of Poets
The Spring of Poets produces a poster signed by an associate artist, distributed free of charge to thousands of organizers.
After Ernest Pignon Ernest’s L'Ardeur, Enki Bilal’s L'Beauté, Pierre Soulages' L'Courage, Sarah Moon’s L'Désir and Pina Bausch’s L'Éphémère, the poster for the 25th edition of Printemps des Poètes is signed by JR.
The emblem of the Spring of the Poets is calligraphed by Ernest Pignon Ernest.
