Digital Poetry Slam Round 1
Our Digital Poetry Slam is now closed for entries!
Are you a spoken word warrior? Do you have performance poetry pulsing through your veins? Are you ready to be loud and proud about the power of women? Then we want you!
This year we’re launching our first Digital Poetry Slam. We’re looking for women* to light up our feeds with their brilliant, brave and bolshy words on our theme Elemental Women. Perhaps Elemental Woman sparks a poem about science, or maybe makes you think about mythical figures? Perhaps the theme inspires you to think about our relationship with the world around us? Take this theme and run with it! We can’t wait to hear the poems you come up with.
Send us videos of your slam poems by midday on Friday 3rd April 2020. We’re open to all women* of all nationalities and can’t wait to crown our first ever Open the Door Digital Slam Champion.
Follow the steps below and blaze your way across the web with your inspiring words.
*All women-only events are inclusive of Trans and Intersex women, as well as non-binary and gender fluid people.
How Does a Digital Slam Work?
Our panel of judges will shortlist nine poets from all the entrants and their first round poems will be uploaded to our website, Vimeo and social media channels.
The judges will then select six of the nine poets and their shortlisted round two poems will be posted on to our website, Vimeo and social media channels.
The judges will then select three poets for the final and their final poems will go online.
The winner will then be selected and announced on our social media channels.
The winner will receive a dedicated page on the GWL website, a congratulatory fanfare on all our social media platforms, and a selection of delicious prizes including books and GWL merchandise. All shortlisted poets will receive feedback from the judges.
How to Enter
Participants will need videos of three poems to enter – only your own, original works please!
The first poem should be based on this year’s theme Elemental Women.
The subsequent two poems can be on any topic of your choice
All poems/videos must not exceed 3 minutes in length but there is no minimum length.
Videos do not need to filmed with special cameras or include any fancy edits – we welcome all videos, however homemade! If you have a phone just flick to selfie mode and start recording, your Slam triumph could be only moments away!
Sending Your Entries
Please send your entries in a folder labelled “OTDSlam2020yourname” via WeTransfer to hannah.wright@womenslibrary.org.uk following the instructions below. If you’ve never used WeTransfer before, you can read this guide on how to add your files.
Please label the videos of your poems with:-
- your name
- the poem’s title
- ‘First Round’, ‘Second Round’ and ‘Final’ as appropriate
For example:- ‘MaryBriggsWaterFirstRound’ ‘MaryBriggsMirrorSecondRound’ ‘MaryBriggsWinFinal’
Please include a transcript of each poem in English
Please include a short biography – no more than 60 words – telling us a bit about you and your poetry.
Please check carefully!
Your WeTransfer folder – titled “OTDSlam2020yourname” should include:-
Your three poems, correctly labelled.
A transcript of each poem in English.
Your biography of no more than 60 words
Next, look out for the WeTransfer download confirmation email – that means we have your entry.
FAQs
What is the deadline for the Slam?
The deadline is midday on Friday 3rd April 2020.
Is there a theme?
The first poem should be based on this year’s theme Elemental Women. The subsequent two poems can be on any topic of your choice.
Can I enter just one poem?
To enter the full Digital Poetry Slam, you must enter three poems. If you want to enter just one, why not check out our Calm Slam?
Who can enter?
If you are a woman* you can enter our Slam! We welcome entries from all nationalities and from poets who use sign language, but ask that all works are accompanied with a transcript in English.
*This is inclusive of Trans and Intersex women, as well as non-binary and gender fluid people who identify in a significant way as woman or female.
Does my entry have to be in English?
We welcome entries in all languages, but ask that accompanying English translations are included with your submission.
When will the Digital Slam announcements take place?
The slam will take place from Monday 18th May to Friday 22nd May, online.
Is there a fee to enter?
No. The Digital Poetry Slam is free to enter.
What do I win?
The winning poet will receive a dedicated page on the GWL website, a congratulatory fanfare on all our social media platforms, and a selection of delicious prizes including books and GWL merchandise. All shortlisted poets will receive feedback from the judges.
This year’s judges are writer and poet Beth Cochrane, who is the Scottish Poetry Library’s Events and Volunteers Manager; Morag Smith, who is a poet and GWL’s National Lifelong Learning Development Worker; plus poet and writer Giovanna MacKenna, co- coordinator of this year’s Open the Door festival.
Terms and Conditions
Entries received after midday on Friday April 3rd 2020 will not be eligible for the Open the Door Digital Slam competition.
Writers may submit only once (three poems per entry).
Please make sure your WeTransfer folder is correctly labelled and contains all the information we need. We may not be able to accept wrongly labelled entries.
Writers retain full copyright of their work and we will only publish work on womenslibrary.org.uk and our social media platforms with the permission of each writer.
The competition is open to all women*. *All women-only events are inclusive of Trans and Intersex women, as well as non-binary and gender fluid people.
There is no entry fee and no purchase necessary.