You can now view videos of the winners from the ACT Australian Poetry Slam heats performing their poems in exotic Canberra locations… watch and find out how each of them answers tricky questions such as ‘What will you do if you win?’
- Adam Hadley*
- Omar Musa
- David Finnigan**/***
*Featuring best ever unplanned interruption EVER!
**Thanks for the name check!
***What’s with cranking up the bass when you’re talking about what happens when stuff goes wrong – it’s a damned conspiracy!
I am bitterly, bitterly disappointed that I won’t be going up to watch these fine lads duke it out with the other Australian Slam winners. I just didn’t get my act together in time, and now I’m swamped… speaking of which, check back very soon for exciting announcements for 2009!
My word, what an action-packed final it was!
At the end of an incredibly tense slam, Omar Musa (last year’s ACT winner, and grand final runner up) and David Finnigan (whose extreme creativity constantly blows me away) drew for first place and then, after each poet performed a second piece, drew for a second time. So there will be three poets – Hadley, Omar and David – going up to Sydney for the grand final!
Omar’s style was very emotional and down to earth, and less hip hop than last year – his delivery is extremely smooth and a delight to hear. Both of Dave’s pieces were, as too be expected, utterly unexpected. The first, a conversation between David (who writes poetry) and David (who gets the credit) and the second, a passionate yet scientific description of how planets and moons are formed.
As I predicted we had a packed final night and a third of the 20 performers were people I’d never seen perform at previous slams. I tried to get around and talk to all of these poets after the competition and most people seemed interested in coming along to slams at The Front. Unfortunately the regular ones won’t start again until late January, so I hope they will stay keen over the new year’s break.
Munro, Jules (Casual Projects) and Ben were a perfect accompaniment to the slam… Heidi commented on how much they reminded her of early Whitlams – and Munro is certainly as enternaining performer as Tim. Such a pity we will be loosing them to Melbourne!
www.traversepoetry.org
