The search is on for Australia’s next poetry slam champion!
Speak, scream, howl, whisper or sing your original poem at the Australian Poetry Slam 09 – an electric live event where the audience is the judge! Slam heats are currently being held in city and regional venues across Australia until November 2009. Two finalists from each slam heat will compete in their state final.
Check your State for heat dates and locations:
ACT | NSW | NT | Qld | SA | Tas| Vic | WA…
On 3 December, the top two performers from each state and territory will battle for the coveted national title at the Sydney Opera House, as well as some amazing prizes. For more information about the Australian Poetry Slam 09, please email us slu35@sl.nsw.gov.au
How does it work?
All heat contestants are given a microphone, a live audience and just two minutes to impress the judges (selected at random at each heat) with their original spoken word, poetry, hip hop, monologues and stories. Five judges are picked randomly by the MC throwing gifts into the audience. Whoever catches the gift is a judge. After each performance, judges hold up score cards using a 1 – 10 scale, with 10 being the highest. Of the five scores for each poet, only the middle three scores are counted. The judges’ decision is final!
What are the prizes?
Heat winners: will receive cash or a prize to the value of $100. The top two point scorers from each heat will go on to compete in their state final.
The state winners and runner-ups will take home $500 and $100 in prize money, respectively, and compete for the Australian Poetry Slam 09 title at the national final in Sydney on 3 December.
The overall winner will receive $5,000 and a place at the Ubud Readers & Writers Festival in 2010, including flights and accommodation. The overall runner-up will receive $500.
Past Australian Poetry Slam winners
Now in its third year, the Australian Poetry Slam has unearthed some amazing talent and enhanced the career opportunities of two previous winners.
- 2007 winner Marc Testart became the first Australian to compete in the Individual World Poetry Championships in America last December.
- 2008 winner Omar Musa recently released his first music video, Hemingway
Click here to view Omar’s winning performance…
The Australian Poetry Slam is an initiative of the State Library of NSW and Word Travels, and is supported by state, territory and public libraries and festivals across Australia.
