Endangered Poetry Project
Languages are dying at the rate of one every two weeks
Of the 7,000 languages spoken in the world over half of these are endangered. By the end of the century half the world’s current languages will be lost which will also mean the loss of unique poetic traditions.
The National Poetry Library here at Southbank Centre believes it is vital that an attempt is made to capture this poetic activity for future generations and on National Poetry Day 2017 launched the Endangered Poetry Project.
Do you know a poem in an endangered language? If so then we would like to hear from you! Through poems submitted by the public the library we will build a collection of works, providing a resource for those interested in reading poems in languages that are under threat.
Unsure about submitting a poem?
Want to submit a poem, but not sure whether it’s what we’re after?
Can I send poems I’ve written?
Only if you are the author of a well known poem in your language. The primary focus of the project is to collect poems that are known within the culture in which they have been written. The library would like to get a sense of how poems become embedded in their cultures, shared and known by others.
How do I know if a poem is in an endangered language or not?
The easiest way to check if the language of the poem is endangered is by taking a look at the UNESCO map of endangered languages.
For your visit
National Poetry Library Southbank Centre
The National Poetry Library is open six days a week.
Tuesday, 12 noon – 6pm
Wednesday – Sunday, 12 noon – 8pm
Getting here
The National Poetry Library is on Level 5 of our Royal Festival Hall.
Our address is Southbank Centre, Belvedere Road, London, SE1 8XX.
The nearest tube stations to us are Waterloo and Embankment; Waterloo is also the nearest train station. And more than 20 different London bus routes pass within 500 metres of our venues. More information on getting here by rail, road or river is available on our Getting here page.
We’re cash-free
Please note that we’re unable to accept cash payments across our venues.
Access
We’re working hard to remove barriers, so that our facilities and events can be accessible to as many people as possible.
All help points, toilets, performance and exhibition spaces at the Southbank Centre are accessible to all, as are the cafes, bars and restaurants. We also have excellent public transport links with step-free access.
All information about booking wheelchair spaces, step-free access, blue badge parking, access maps and guides and other help available whilst you’re here, including details about our Access Scheme, can be found on our Access page.
Study & library use
The library is London’s only space dedicated to poetry study. Visitors studying another subject or looking for a place to work are kindly asked to find an alternative space in the Royal Festival Hall.
