Beneath the warm glow of dim lighting, the Ōtautahi Poetry Slam Final brought together a community of poets and poetry lovers for an evening of storytelling, vulnerability and creativity. The smell of pizza and hot chips lingered in the air as the audience settled in. Held at Space Academy, the space felt less like a competition and more like a living room stretched to accommodate hundreds of stories.
Our MC, Ciaran Fox brough energy, warmth and humour to the stage and effortlessly delivered a phenomenal night of entertainment.
For those that may be unfamiliar with slam poetry, one of its most distinctive features is that the audience holds power. Five judges are randomly selected from the audience to score each poem, and these scores are added to determine who will progress through the rounds and who unfortunately is eliminated from the slam. Five complete strangers must come together to seal the fate of the poets.
Nine poets took to the stage across three rounds of competition, all vying for the title of Ōtautahi Slam Champion. With just three minutes for each performance, every poet had a limited window to leave their mark on both the audience and the judges. The evening opened with a sacrificial poet, Jessica, whose performance not only set the tone for the night but also served as a practice round for the newly selected judges.
Round one saw the full lineup of poets taking the stage, each bringing their own unique stories, challenges and perspective. The room was filled with laughter, applause, and the finger snapping as the poets shared stories that ranged from deeply personal to hilariously relatable. The emotional connection between performers and audience was unmistakable, creating the kind of atmosphere that makes slam poetry so compelling.
My favourite poem of the evening came during the first round. Performed by Jay, it explored her experiences of growing up Asian and living in brown skin. It was a piece that resonated deeply with me, and I may have found myself getting a little teary-eyed as she performed. Her performance was unlike any other I had ever seen, her body told her story as much as her words did. Her movements and words weaved seamlessly together to tell a deeply personal story. If I had been one of the judges, it would have been an easy 10!
Not every poem was emotional. Mighty Melissa and Jordan had me laughing throughout the night. Mighty Melissa's poem describing poetry as "karaoke for sadness" was both witty and absolutely on point, while Jordan's exploration of whether God loves him, with his perfectly timed response of "Huh?", had the room in stitches.
Mighty Melissa (left) and Jordan (right)
That's what I love most about the poetry scene in Ōtautahi. Spoken word poetry creates a feeling that is difficult to describe but impossible to ignore. There is something uniquely powerful about hearing a poem performed live, sharing a room with the poet and those around you. For a few minutes, nothing else matters.
By round two, the field had narrowed to the night's top five poets: Lee, Jay, Mighty Melissa, Jordan and Jor. Just when it seemed they couldn't surpass their first-round performances, they returned with pieces that were equally powerful. The round delivered everything a slam poetry audience could hope for: humour, vulnerability, insight and moments of genuine surprise.
Jor was a particular standout for me. She has a captivating voice that commanded the room from the moment she stepped up to the microphone. Listening to her perform, I couldn't help but think how perfectly suited she would be to narrate a romantasy or sci-fi audiobook. Her delivery drew the audience into every line, while her poems balanced humour and emotion with remarkable ease. One moment the room was laughing, the next it had fallen into thoughtful silence. It's a difficult skill to move so seamlessly between the comedic and the heartfelt, and Jor did it brilliantly.
Heading into the final round is Jay, Jordan, Mighty Melissa and Jor! Traditionally, it would usually only be three poets but plot twist...since the poetry slam has the capacity to send two people to the national competition, four finalists are going through as there was a tie! The third and final round saw more incredible poetry being performed, again I really enjoyed Jay’s description of ‘being assigned poet at birth’, I felt like that made a lot of sense!
As the judges' scores were tallied and the audience mingled between announcements, topping up on pizza and hot chips, the evening seemed to be drawing to a close. Then came one final twist. Taking the microphone, MC Ciaran Fox revealed that there was yet another tie for the runner up, this time between Jay and Jor. The winner was clear and after three incredible poems that resonated deeply with all audience members in different ways, Jordan was announced the winner of the Ōtautahi Poetry Slam Final!
Suddenly, the question on everyone's mind was obvious: how would a winner be decided? Suggestions flew around the room. Should the scores from the preliminary rounds be taken into account? Should the poets be asked to perform another full poem? In true slam poetry fashion, the audience once again held the power. After some lively discussion, a decision was reached.
The tie would be settled the only way a poetry slam could settle it: with a haiku deathmatch.
Two minutes. That was all the time Jay and Jor had to write an original haiku on the spot. As the timer began counting down, the pressure increased and the suspense was pumping. For first-time attendees, it was an unforgettable introduction to the unpredictable magic of slam poetry.
The challenge was a testament to the talent of both poets. Within just two minutes, Jay and Jor had each crafted a haiku capable of capturing the room's attention. Despite the limited time, their words carried the same creativity, presence and emotional weight that had brought them this far in the competition.
When it came time to perform, both poets rose to the occasion. Jay's haiku took a more emotional direction, leaving the audience with wondering thoughts, while Jor delivered her haiku with the same loud voice and sassiness. As the final votes were cast, it was Jay who claimed the runner-up position!
Jordan and Jor will be heading to Te Whanganui-a-Tara (Wellington) on November 14th, to compete in the Aotearoa, New Zealand National Grand Slam Poetry competition. It will be an incredible evening, not to be missed!
If you've never experienced live poetry before, I hope this encourages you to seek it out. There is something uniquely powerful about sharing a room with poets willing to bare their hearts, make you laugh, and see the world differently. It may not change your life, but it just might leave you seeing it through a new lens.
Jemimah
Hapori, Tūranga
Photos
View photos of the Poetry Slam
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