Julius Meinl's Pay With A Poem Returns With JP Cooper

This World Poetry Day (March 21st), coffee roaster Julius Meinl and critically acclaimed musician, JP Cooper, invites coffee and tea lovers to unleash their inner poet and have their written word serve as currency for the day.

The opportunity comes as part of the fifth annual Pay With A Poem initiative, which will see JP Cooper create a song to celebrate poets from around the world in a bid to showcase how music can be a gateway to enjoying poetry in 2018.

While music and lyrics have always felt universal, poetry by comparison has been widely recognised as a platform reserved for the literati. However, with the lines between music and poetry more intertwined than ever, the Vienna-based coffee roaster hopes to make poetry accessible to the masses.

With coffee and tea serving as the creative fuel for a day, those who take part in the event will have the unique opportunity to turn their written word into currency, with a hot beverage available in return for every poem written.

Speaking ahead of World Poetry Day, JP Cooper said: "Everyone can remember the lyrics to their favourite songs, but how many people can recite a poem? Rhyme and verse is an integral part of my song-writing process andI hope that this new song will inspire more people to try their hand at writing. Ultimately I hope to show that poetry lives everywhere, andthat music can be a gateway to enjoying poetry."

He added: "Over the years I've seen the lines between music and poetry becoming intertwined. For me as an artist, having a true understanding of how poetry can inspire my music is fundamental. Some of the most influential artists today are making poetry accessible and contemporary for the masses,and this is something I hope to achieve through working with Julius Meinl on Pay With A Poem."

Julius Meinl's CEO, Marcel Löffler comments: "This year marks the fifth anniversary of Pay With A Poem, a global initiative which strives to encourage people to harness their creativity and make poetry accessible to the masses. We aim to do that via our coffee and tea, which serves as the artistic fuel for creatives across the globe. We're thrilled to have JP Cooper create this song, which celebrates poetry through the lens of music."

To find out more about Pay With A Poem, and how you can be involved, visit www.facebook.com/JuliusMeinlOfficial and www.meinlcoffee.com Follow the social conversation using #PayWithAPoem and #PoetryForChange.