CELEBRATING DARK POETRY DAY

Edgar Allen Poe’s ink ceased to flow 174 years ago today and dark poets everywhere honor his legacy on this National Day of Recognition. October 7, the day Edgar Allan Poe died, is National Dark Poetry Day. Originated in 2018 by HWA Poetry Showcase founder Peter Adam Salomon, himself an accomplished poet with three poetry collections and a Bram Stoker Award®-nominated novelist. Peter’s work has been performed by The Radiophonic Workshop on BBC Radio 6.

“Dark poetry has existed for centuries,” said Peter Adam Salomon. “One of the oldest surviving works of literature is the Epic of Gilgamesh, which dates to the 18th century BCE. Poetry doesn’t get much darker than that. It’s been almost four thousand years since the time of Gilgamesh, but a vibrant, vicious thread of darkness has haunted poetry ever since. And celebrating that thread is the purpose of National Dark Poetry Day. In dark poetry we share in the ancient knowledge that the darkest of poetry shines a light on the greatest truth.”

Today, dip your pen into the deepest recesses of your soul and see what monstrosities you can lay out on the page. Pull the volumes of haunted verse from the shelves. Pour a glass of spirit and raise it to those who have gone before and continue forward down the path of shadowy words. Celebrate dark poetry… scaring is caring.