Poetry Slam rocks Deloraine again!

Andi Stewart, National runnerup in 2018 and 2019.

Bottom Rohan King who won the state final in 2019

Photos supplied

POETRY SLAM returns to Deloraine at the Empire Hotel on 3 September.

Poetry Slam is competitive performance poetry – a thoroughly entertaining and fun event, with judges randomly chosen from members of the audience.

Heats are being held in rural and urban communities throughout Australia, with all contestants vying for a place in the Australian Poetry Slam National Final in October.

The ultimate prize, for the National Winner, is an all-expenses-paid international tour, performing at arts and writers festivals around Australia, Southeast Asia and North America.

The Deloraine Heat is free to attend and easy to enter. Contestants sign up on the night, are given two minutes to impress the judges with their own original work. No props are allowed.

If there is a placegetter tie, a second piece will be needed for a ‘slam off’.

Placegetters will be awarded prizes and will compete at the Tasmanian Final in Launceston in mid-September, where two contestants will be chosen to take part in the National Final in October.

Slam Heats have inspired a love of poetry, given emerging poets a chance to expand their talents, and catapulted Tasmanians onto state, national and international stages.

The Tasmanian Heats and Final of the Australian Poetry Slam, held annually since 2007, are coordinated by Yvonne Gluyas and Joy Elizabeth.

There have been many participating Tasmanian poets who have gone on to achieve successes that would not have been possible without their involvement in these events.

Last year Rohan King, who placed in the 2019 Deloraine Heat after only his second time reading his poetry in public, won the Tasmanian State Final. Within a couple of months he was in Sydney, giving a brilliant performance at the Sydney Opera House in the 2019 Australian Poetry Slam National Final, to wild applause from the appreciative audience that filled the venue!

Another high achieving local poet is Andi Stewart, who has competed in three consecutive APS National Finals at the Sydney Opera House.

Andi was awarded ‘National Runner-up’ in both 2018 and 2019 – a huge achievement for this former Riverside High School student!

The 2020 Deloraine Heat of the Australian Poetry Slam is being held from 7.30pm at the Empire Hotel, 19 Emu Bay Road Deloraine, on Thursday 3 September. Dinner bookings are available from 5.30pm.

All are welcome, either as a participating poet, or as a member of the audience. This is a free event, thanks to the support of Mark and Amanda Flanagan of the Empire Hotel.

As numbers are limited, please book early for dinner to ensure a seat! For more information, please contact Yvonne 0413 321 834 or email yvonnegluyas@gmail.com.