Heat 1 of the 2026 Summer Slam featured a diverse and high quality range of poets competing for the first lot of 5 slots in the 2026 Summer Slam Final. Congratulations to finalists: Ben Adams, Megan Ellis, Kathryn Reese, Elise Witter and John Willison!
Thursday 15 January 2026
Doors open for sign-up at 6:30pm
JIVE
181 Hindley St, Adelaide, SA 5000
Summer Slam is back throughout January and early February in 2026, with two heats and a final. The Summer Slam is a beginner friendly, relaxed slam and a great way to kick off the coming year of poetic endeavours.
There is no theme, so make the most of those lazy summer evenings… dip your legs in the pool and get to writing!
Our opening heat is at Jive, a fabulous venue with a big stage, great bar and fun vibe. They have … ... Read more ...
Summer Slam is back throughout January and early February in 2026, with two heats and a final. The Summer Slam is a beginner friendly, relaxed slam and a great way to kick off the coming year of poetic endeavours.
There is no theme, so make the most of those lazy summer evenings… dip your legs in the pool and get to writing!
5 poets from each of the 2 heats will win book prizes, courtesy of Dymocks Adelaide, and go through to the final to compete for more awesome prizes at the State Library on Saturday 7 February, 2026.
The … ... Read more ...
Words can’t express how incredibly proud we are that SA slam poet Arantza Garcia won the 2025 Australian Poetry Slam!
Both Arantza and Tori (TJ) represented SA with heartfelt and beautifully intimate poems that left us with goosebumps and a tear in our eyes. It was truly an honour to share this experience with them and to showcase the amazing talent that we have here in SA.
This is the first time an SA poet has taken the win since the Australian Poetry Slam competition began 20 years ago! We know the entire SA poetry community shares a great … ... Read more ...
On the final weekend of the 2025 Nature Festival, a fabulous line-up of poets presented their nature-influenced work to a large and enthusiastic audience at Arthur Art Bar. Topics and styles were as diverse as ever, but it was impossible to ignore the toxic algal bloom currently afflicting so … ... Read more ...
What a great night at Goodwood Theatre and Studios for the SA Final of the 2025 Australian Poetry Slam! After a tight, high quality contest in front of a full house, we are proud to have winner Arantza Garcia and runner-up Tori Johns (TJ) representing the SA poetry community at the National Final of the Australian Poetry … ... Read more ...
Thursday 23 October 2025
6:30pm
African Village Restaurant
2A Northcote Street, Torrensville, SA 5031
$20, includes meal.
Click here to book at trybooking
Feast on the diversity of the human experience while enjoying authentic Ethiopian food!
As Story Week expands into South Australia, we offer an evening featuring a shared meal and story circle to feed your body and soul. Join us at the African Village Restaurant, a place of connection, born from the hope and resilience of owner Mohamed Bayan. A set of story cards will guide your conversations with friends and strangers around the tables to … ... Read more ...
Saturday, 11 October 2025
2:00 pm to 5:00 pm
Arthur Art Bar
66 Currie St, Adelaide, SA 5000
It’s time to let your words FLOW!
Now in its sixth year, the ‘Be Natural’ Poetry Slam is an all ages event as part of the 2025 Nature Festival, with the broad theme of nature and what it means to you, giving participants the opportunity to stretch their creative ‘limbs’ and think about what nature and the natural world means to them.
The rules are simple – one poem, two minutes maximum, no props, no costumes, no … ... Read more ...
