Spoken Word SA

The Summer Slams are back for 2019!! 

Four heats and a final at some of our favourite venues around town.

The Summer Slam is about introducing new people to slam poetry, about having some fun, about no ‘real’ pressure. No big prizes, no interstate trips: just good words and sharing.  But please read the rules!!

Click on the links below for more details. 

Heat 1  State Library of SA / Saturday 5th January / 6:00 pm
Heat 2  Broadcast Bar / Sunday 13th January / 6:00 pm
Heat 3  Southwark Hotel / Saturday 19th January / 6:30 pm
Heat 4  King’s Head Hotel / Thursday 31st January / 6:30 pm
FINAL  Jive Nightclub / Saturday 9th February / 7:00pm

Poetry book prizes for the heats generously donated by Wakefield Press. Summer Slam is also supported by Writers SA, Word Travels and ACW – Adelaide Championship Wrestling

The Rules

1. Enter at the venue on the night of the heat 30 minutes before the heat commences.
2. You may register up until we choose judges. We will do one last call out.  Once we start choosing judges, no more entrants are allowed. 
3. Random draw for performance order.
4. ABSOLUTE two minute limit. Time starts at your first word or when the timekeeper feels the performance has begun (no additional time allowed for introductions). Points will be deducted from the final score for exceeding the time limit — one point for every 30 seconds over time. For example: At 2:01 minutes you will lose a point. At 2:31 minutes you will lose another point…  ONE POEM ONLY!!
5. Five judges chosen by the MC at random from the audience.
6. Judges hold up score cards using a 1 – 10 scale to one decimal point, with 10 being the highest possible score. Of the five scores for each poet, only the middle three scores are counted. The decision of the judges is final.
7. Poem must be the original work of the performer and a new poem. No poetry that has been performed in previous SA Poetry Slam events is eligible.  No plagiarism, folks. One or two recognisable pop culture references are okay.
8. No musical accompaniment. No props. No costumes. (ie, clothing related to the poem).
9. SA Poetry Slam Organisers and feature performers may not compete.
10. In the event of a tie, a slam-off will occur.
11. The Judges’ and Organiser’s decisions regarding winners are final and cannot be contested. No correspondence or discussion will be entered into in this regard.
12. Don’t piss in our pockets. Summer Slam is about introducing new people to slam poetry, about having some fun, about no ‘real’ pressure. No big prizes, no interstate trips, just good words and sharing.
13. Rules may change to fit the event. For example, number of judges, quality of chocolates, letting late comers sign up, two rounds of poetry, harvesting of organs.