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What’s a Poetry Slam?

Poetry slams are energetic poetry competitions where the emphasis is on the connection between speaker and audience. Poems are judged on content AND delivery. That said, the points aren’t the point–the poetry is.

The London Slam events will consist of 2 rounds, starting with up to 12 poets (2nd round half the number of poets from the first round, or half minus one). Five judges randomly selected from the audience will give scores out of 10; the highest and lowest scores are dropped and the highest scoring poets move on to the next round. In the event that more than 12 poets register, performers’ names will be drawn randomly. Please note that this means that if you plan to slam, you should have 3 poems prepared in the event that you make it to the 3rd round. When a featured poet is in attendance, they will also be a guest judge.

Audience members are encouraged to be vocal, enthusiastic, and engaged. They’re also encouraged to influence the judges with applause or heckling. Poets are likewise encouraged to influence the judges by buying them drinks.

Rules/Info

All styles of poetry are welcome: a capella hip hop, rants, classical/literary, dub, sound poetry, theatrical monologues, haikus, power rap, you name it! The only limits are:
-Poems should be no longer than 3 minutes (you’ll get a 10 second grace period, after which points will be deducted).
-No props, instruments, etc. allowed. Just you and your voice (or voices–team pieces are also welcome).
-The poems must be your original work. No covers.
-Memorization is optional.
-You are being judged on content/style and performance.

Always $5 Cover

Wondering where your $5 goes? The cover charges go towards a prize for the winner ($75), remuneration for our guest features, and if extra funds allow, prizes for the other finalists. The cash also covers incidental costs like photocopies, etc.

2 Responses

  1. I was wondering if there was a show this eve in London Ontario ? Wednesday November 4 th 2009 ?

    • The London Poetry Slam presents a showcase of the team that will represent London at the Canadian National Poetry Slam Nov 10-14 in Victoria. You’ve been hearing a little bit from some of them each month, and here’s your chance to support them all together! Doors are at 7pm, the show will start at 8, and entrance is by donation ($5 minimum donation suggested). Team chapbooks and our amazing “SHOW THE LOVE”/”SPEAK YOUR TRUTH” dogtag necklackes will be on sale at the event. Bring your friends!

      Date:
      Wednesday, November 4, 2009
      Time:
      7:00pm – 10:30pm
      Location:
      London Music Club
      Street:
      470 Colborne St.
      City/Town:
      London, ON

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