MCs Ken Arkind and Carrie Rudzinski

Want a crack at it? Email slam@goingwest.co.nz or check us out on Facebook for heats.

We’re back! The Festival just wouldn’t be complete without the Going West Poetry Slam. If you think poetry is all about fields of daffodils and iambic pentameters, think again. Here, poets lay it on the line to see who's got the chops to rise to the top. Yes, it’s competitive. And yes, things can run hot, just like poetry should, right? Performances are judged by a panel of celebrity judges and not-so-hapless audience members. Don’t like how a judge rates a poet? Go ahead, let them know. Like a poet? Snap your fingers and give them a cheer. You might not recognise all our poets from the latest issue of Landfall, but then again, it’s been known to happen. Here at the slam, diversity is practically the only thing we know for sure. But hey, just ‘cause we’re a LitFest doesn’t mean we’re all polite discussions and arcane concepts. At the Going West Poetry Slam you’ll witness the spoken word take flight on the wings of lived experience, street smarts, and the sheer rrreeeaaaow! of life.

1st Prize $500 • 2nd Prize $400 • 3rd Prize $300 • Runners up $50

HEAT 1 | Tuesday 31 July | 7.30pm | Poetry Live | Thirsty Dog, K Rd
HEAT 2 | Sunday 5 August | 6pm | Ellen Melville Centre, CBD
HEAT 3 | Deadline: Saturday 11 August | 11.59pm | Online submission!
Make a video selfie of your stuff : no cuts, no edits, no FX. Just you, your spoken words and your phone. Max length: 3 minutes, no exceptions. Email it to slam@goingwestfest.co.nz with subject line: Slam Heat 3.
GRAND SLAM | Saturday 8 September | 7:00 PM | Glen Eden Play House