Come join our annual Otago Poetry Slam as part of the New Zealand Young Writer's Festival in Ōtepoti Dunedin.
Join us for the annual Otago Poetry Slam, a highlight of the New Zealand Young Writer’s Festival in Ōtepoti Dunedin! This lively event brings together the most creative young poets in the region for a night of dynamic performances and friendly competition. Whether you’re a seasoned poet or just starting out, the Otago Poetry Slam offers a welcoming and supportive atmosphere for everyone to share their unique voice. Come and be part of an unforgettable celebration of poetry, creativity, and community spirit!
Standard international poetry SLAM rules apply:
A full list of rules can be found at the New Zealand Poetry Slam website.
We reckon judging art with numbers is an impossible thing to do. Art is too subjective and any attempt to score it shouldn't be taken seriously.
Random audience judges are a key part of our slams. Many of them have never read a poem or been to a poetry event, but all know what they like and know when they are moved by a poem. These amateur judges are an important part of the spirit of our events. There is a saying in slam that the point is not the points, the point is the poetry. Centring the random judges in this way helps emphasise that poetry slam is a game that we are playing with our friends, not a formal critique of poetry.
Our poetry slams are raucous, high energy events that we make sure are safe and fun. We often have a DJ and you'll find our MCs bouncing round the stage like the poetry maniacs that they are.
Slam is just one format within the wider scene of poetry and performance poetry. It's a fun way to meet people, share your work, make an event of poetry and fill a room with people who may never go to a traditional 'reading'.
It's loads of fun but not for everyone. You can read more about poetry progression here.
Can I read someone else's poems?
No, we want to hear your original work
Is it improvised like a rap battle?
Not usually, almost all poets will bring pre-written poetry to read or perform
Do you have to use certain kinds of poem?
No! There is no such thing as a "slam poem", any kind of poem can win a slam if it is well written and delivered.
Can I use music?
Not really, we like to focus on the written word. Singing one or two lines is fine, but we are after poetry not songs. This doesn't mean you can't read song lyrics like a poem.
Do the points matter?
No, your poetry still exists afterwards, as lovely as it was beforehand. The points just are just a fun way to get an audience in the room and to celebrate poetry.
It seems too competitive and judgemental for me
Totally fair enough, slam is NOT for everyone, and some of our favourite poets steer clear of this format. It's meant to be fun, so we recommend giving it a go and seeing if it's for you. For some people it really fits and is a great incentive to keep writing and practising, plus if you win you get the cool title of Slam Champion.
Can I sign up?
Yes! Check out if we are running a slam near you here.
We love our trophies for lots of reasons. They're more affordable and in line with our kaupapa than big cash prizes. As we add names we are making a record of our community, they're great advocates for what we do, and they look cool!
Discover the ways that you can get involved in the poetry community and support our Aotearoa poets.
If you want to speak to the Motif team, ask a question, hire a poet, or start your own poetry journey – then you can fill out the form below and we’ll be in touch!
We love meeting people face to face, so why not come say hi at our next event near you?
